• Porous nanomaterials (ammonium charged zeolites, graphene oxide, and nanocalcite) reduce nitrogen loss in
considerable quantity by controlling the nutrient release
that enhances the plant uptake process.
• In controlled release fertilizers, the thickness of coating
and permeability determines the releasing time of the
fertilizer.
• Ammonium mixed zeolites enhance the solubility of
phosphate.
8 Conclusion
Nanofertilizer is the engineered nanomaterial prepared by
applying nanotechnology. Particles of this material are in the
nanometer size range. Due to the presence of nano-sized
particles (particularly size less than the plants cells), this new
generation fertilizer has an ability to reduce the fertilizer
consumption and to deliver the nutrients better than the
conventional fertilizers. It is observed from the literature that
the nanofertilizers will play a major role in the modern
agriculture. Engineered nanomaterials are applied in plant
stress, pathogens controlling, target delivery (gene transfer),
plants development, and soil enhancement. Nanomaterials
like magnesium hydroxide, carbon nanomaterials, ZnO
nanoparticles, and iron oxide nanomaterials are utilized in
pre-soaking of seeds and seed germination technology. They
improve the solubility of the nutrients. Some nanofertilizers
have good water retention capacity. Comparing to the conventional fertilizers, they release the nutrients and reduce the
nutrient loss in a better way. Slow and controlled released
nanofertilizers augment the plant growth that leads to higher
level plant productivity and crop yield.
Fertilizers are expected to do more functions like stimulation of soil microorganisms and mobilization of phosphorus and potassium to make them easily available to the
plants. To cope up with the agriculture market, a fertilizer
should be fast acting and long-lasting. The fertilizer should
provide support to better yield (with a uniform, dense, or full
growth) and eliminate entanglement. It should promote
humus formation and soil health. Advanced technologies
(like nanotechnology, nanofertilizers, and biofertilizers)
support to fertilizers for the supply of nutrients properly.
Acknowledgements The author expresses immense thanks to her
husband Mr. G. Sankar for his assistances in this work. Also, she
acknowledges the assistances of International Research Center, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (Deemed University),
Krishnankoil-626 126, (India) for providing necessary supports and
facilities.
References
Abdel-Aziz HMM, Hasaneen MNA, Omer AM (2016) Nano
chitosan-NPK fertilizer enhances the growth and productivity of
wheat plants grown in sandy soil. Span J Agric Res 14:17. https://
doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2016141-8205
Aboul-Enein AM, Salama ZA, Gaafar AA, Aly HF, A bou-Elella F,
Habiba AA (2016) Identification of phenolic compounds from
banana peel (Musa aradaisica L.) as antioxidant and antimicrobial
agents. J Chem Pharm Res 8(4):46–55
Adisa IO, Reddy VL, Peralta-Videa JR et al (2019) Recent advances in
nano-enabled fertilizers and pesticides: a critical review of mechanisms of action. Environ Sci Nano 6(7):2002–2030. https://doi.org/
10.1039/C9EN00265K
Ali MA, Rehman I, Iqbal A, Din S, Rao AQ, Latif A, Samiullah TR,
Azam S, Husnain T (2014) Nanotechnology, a new frontier in
agriculture. Adv Life Sci 1(3):129–138
Babar A, KuShaari K, Man Z (2016) Effect of coating thickness on
release characteristics of controlled release urea produced in
fluidized bed using waterborne starch biopolymer as coating
material. Procedia Eng 148:282–289
Bansiwal AK, Rayalu SS, Labhasetwar NK, Juwarkar AA, Devotta S
(2006) Surfactant-modified zeolite as a slow release fertilizer for
phosphorus. J Agric Food Chem 54(13):4773–4779
Borling K (2003) Phosphorus sorption, accumulation and leaching.
Diss. Sveriges lantbruksuniv. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae. Agraria, 1401–6249; 428
Brady NR, Weil RR (2017) The nature and properties of soils. Prentice
Hall, New Jersey, pp 415–473. ISBN: 9780133254525
Brunner TJ, Wick P, Manserp S, Grass RN, Limbach LK, Bruinink A,
Stark WJ (2006) In vitro cytotoxicity of oxide nanoparticles:
comparison to asbestos, silica, and the effect of particle solubility.
Environ Sci Technol 40:4374–4381
Carpenter SR, Caraco NF, Correll DL, Howarth RW, Sharpley AN,
Smith VH (1998) Nonpoint pollution of surface waters with
phosphorus and nitrogen. Ecol Appl 8:559–568. https://doi.org/10.
1890/1051-0761(1998)008[0559:NPOSWW]2.0.CO;2
Chen C, GaoZ QX, Hu S (2013) Enhancement of the controlled-release
properties of chitosan membranes by crosslinking with suberoyl
chloride. Molecules 18(6):7239–7252. https://doi.org/10.3390/
molecules18067239
Chen S, Yang M, Ba C, YuS JY, Zou H, Zhang Y (2018) Preparation
and characterization of slow-release fertilizer encapsulated by
biochar-based waterborne copolymers. Sci Total Environ
615:431–437
Clapp J (2001) Urea-triazone N characteristics and uses. In: Proceedings of the 2nd international nitrogen conference on science and
policy. Scientific World 1(S2), pp 103–107. ISSN 1532-2246.
https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2001.356
Corradini E, MouraMR De, Mattoso LHC (2010) A preliminary study
of the incorporation of NPK fertilizer into chitosan nanoparticles.
Express Polym Lett 4(8):509–515
Dasgupta N, Ranjan S, Mundekkad D, Ramalingam C, Shanker R,
Kumar A (2015) Nanotechnology in agro-food: from field to plate.
Food Res Internat 69:381–400
Dhillon GS, Brar SK, Kaur S, Verma M (2012) Green approach for
nanoparticle biosynthesis by fungi: current trends and applications.
Crit Rev Biotechnol 32:49–73
Dimkpa C (2014) Potential of nanotechnology in crop fertilization:
current state and future perspectives. In: World fertilizer congress,
vol 16, p 46. https://allanore.mit.edu/Global_Challenges_files/
Proceedigns_16WFC_high_resolution_1.pdf
Advances of Engineered Nanofertilizers for Modern Agriculture
149
considerable quantity by controlling the nutrient release
that enhances the plant uptake process.
• In controlled release fertilizers, the thickness of coating
and permeability determines the releasing time of the
fertilizer.
• Ammonium mixed zeolites enhance the solubility of
phosphate.
8 Conclusion
Nanofertilizer is the engineered nanomaterial prepared by
applying nanotechnology. Particles of this material are in the
nanometer size range. Due to the presence of nano-sized
particles (particularly size less than the plants cells), this new
generation fertilizer has an ability to reduce the fertilizer
consumption and to deliver the nutrients better than the
conventional fertilizers. It is observed from the literature that
the nanofertilizers will play a major role in the modern
agriculture. Engineered nanomaterials are applied in plant
stress, pathogens controlling, target delivery (gene transfer),
plants development, and soil enhancement. Nanomaterials
like magnesium hydroxide, carbon nanomaterials, ZnO
nanoparticles, and iron oxide nanomaterials are utilized in
pre-soaking of seeds and seed germination technology. They
improve the solubility of the nutrients. Some nanofertilizers
have good water retention capacity. Comparing to the conventional fertilizers, they release the nutrients and reduce the
nutrient loss in a better way. Slow and controlled released
nanofertilizers augment the plant growth that leads to higher
level plant productivity and crop yield.
Fertilizers are expected to do more functions like stimulation of soil microorganisms and mobilization of phosphorus and potassium to make them easily available to the
plants. To cope up with the agriculture market, a fertilizer
should be fast acting and long-lasting. The fertilizer should
provide support to better yield (with a uniform, dense, or full
growth) and eliminate entanglement. It should promote
humus formation and soil health. Advanced technologies
(like nanotechnology, nanofertilizers, and biofertilizers)
support to fertilizers for the supply of nutrients properly.
Acknowledgements The author expresses immense thanks to her
husband Mr. G. Sankar for his assistances in this work. Also, she
acknowledges the assistances of International Research Center, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (Deemed University),
Krishnankoil-626 126, (India) for providing necessary supports and
facilities.
References
Abdel-Aziz HMM, Hasaneen MNA, Omer AM (2016) Nano
chitosan-NPK fertilizer enhances the growth and productivity of
wheat plants grown in sandy soil. Span J Agric Res 14:17. https://
doi.org/10.5424/sjar/2016141-8205
Aboul-Enein AM, Salama ZA, Gaafar AA, Aly HF, A bou-Elella F,
Habiba AA (2016) Identification of phenolic compounds from
banana peel (Musa aradaisica L.) as antioxidant and antimicrobial
agents. J Chem Pharm Res 8(4):46–55
Adisa IO, Reddy VL, Peralta-Videa JR et al (2019) Recent advances in
nano-enabled fertilizers and pesticides: a critical review of mechanisms of action. Environ Sci Nano 6(7):2002–2030. https://doi.org/
10.1039/C9EN00265K
Ali MA, Rehman I, Iqbal A, Din S, Rao AQ, Latif A, Samiullah TR,
Azam S, Husnain T (2014) Nanotechnology, a new frontier in
agriculture. Adv Life Sci 1(3):129–138
Babar A, KuShaari K, Man Z (2016) Effect of coating thickness on
release characteristics of controlled release urea produced in
fluidized bed using waterborne starch biopolymer as coating
material. Procedia Eng 148:282–289
Bansiwal AK, Rayalu SS, Labhasetwar NK, Juwarkar AA, Devotta S
(2006) Surfactant-modified zeolite as a slow release fertilizer for
phosphorus. J Agric Food Chem 54(13):4773–4779
Borling K (2003) Phosphorus sorption, accumulation and leaching.
Diss. Sveriges lantbruksuniv. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae. Agraria, 1401–6249; 428
Brady NR, Weil RR (2017) The nature and properties of soils. Prentice
Hall, New Jersey, pp 415–473. ISBN: 9780133254525
Brunner TJ, Wick P, Manserp S, Grass RN, Limbach LK, Bruinink A,
Stark WJ (2006) In vitro cytotoxicity of oxide nanoparticles:
comparison to asbestos, silica, and the effect of particle solubility.
Environ Sci Technol 40:4374–4381
Carpenter SR, Caraco NF, Correll DL, Howarth RW, Sharpley AN,
Smith VH (1998) Nonpoint pollution of surface waters with
phosphorus and nitrogen. Ecol Appl 8:559–568. https://doi.org/10.
1890/1051-0761(1998)008[0559:NPOSWW]2.0.CO;2
Chen C, GaoZ QX, Hu S (2013) Enhancement of the controlled-release
properties of chitosan membranes by crosslinking with suberoyl
chloride. Molecules 18(6):7239–7252. https://doi.org/10.3390/
molecules18067239
Chen S, Yang M, Ba C, YuS JY, Zou H, Zhang Y (2018) Preparation
and characterization of slow-release fertilizer encapsulated by
biochar-based waterborne copolymers. Sci Total Environ
615:431–437
Clapp J (2001) Urea-triazone N characteristics and uses. In: Proceedings of the 2nd international nitrogen conference on science and
policy. Scientific World 1(S2), pp 103–107. ISSN 1532-2246.
https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2001.356
Corradini E, MouraMR De, Mattoso LHC (2010) A preliminary study
of the incorporation of NPK fertilizer into chitosan nanoparticles.
Express Polym Lett 4(8):509–515
Dasgupta N, Ranjan S, Mundekkad D, Ramalingam C, Shanker R,
Kumar A (2015) Nanotechnology in agro-food: from field to plate.
Food Res Internat 69:381–400
Dhillon GS, Brar SK, Kaur S, Verma M (2012) Green approach for
nanoparticle biosynthesis by fungi: current trends and applications.
Crit Rev Biotechnol 32:49–73
Dimkpa C (2014) Potential of nanotechnology in crop fertilization:
current state and future perspectives. In: World fertilizer congress,
vol 16, p 46. https://allanore.mit.edu/Global_Challenges_files/
Proceedigns_16WFC_high_resolution_1.pdf
Advances of Engineered Nanofertilizers for Modern Agriculture
149