Abstract
There is a need for a more innovative fertilizer approach that can increase the productivity of agricultural systems and be more environmentally friendly than synthetic fertilizers. In this article, we reviewed the recent development and potential benefits derived from the use of nanofertilizers (NFs) in modern agriculture. NFs have the potential to promote sustainable agriculture and increase overall crop productivity, mainly by increasing the nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of field and greenhouse crops. NFs can release their nutrients at a slow and steady pace, either when applied alone or in combination with synthetic or organic fertilizers. They can release their nutrients in 40–50 days, while synthetic fertilizers do the same in 4–10 days. Moreover, NFs can increase the tolerance of plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, the advantages of NFs over synthetic fertilizers, as well as the different types of macro and micro NFs, are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the application of NFs in smart sustainable agriculture and the role of NFs in the mitigation of biotic and abiotic stress on plants is presented. Though NF applications may have many benefits for sustainable agriculture, there are some concerns related to the release of nanoparticles (NPs) from NFs into the environment, with the subsequent detrimental effects that this could have on both human and animal health. Future research should explore green synthesized and biosynthesized NFs, their safe use, bioavailability, and toxicity concerns.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.license.Sustainable agriculture with a high productivity is crucial to alleviate the perils of hunger and increase food security
Askary et al [119] used various concentrations (0, 5 10 20, 30, and 40 mM) of Fe NFs (Fe2 O3 ) on rose periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). They observed that Fe NFs enhanced several growth parameters, chlorophyll and protein contents compared to plants where Fe NFs were not applied
The application NF or/and NP to plants grown under abiotic stress results an increase in the contents of antioxidants and proline, decreasing the production of H2 O2 and malondialdehyde
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Low NUE values [16] and increased environmental risks [15] related to the use of more synthetic fertilizers has been a long-term limitation to achieve sustainability in agriculture [7,17]. Higher release levels of synthetic fertilizers than plant uptake levels or changes of the forms of nutrients into those which are not bioavailable to plants are typically the main result of low NUE values. Farmers use higher than optimum doses of synthetic fertilizers to obtain high yields, which increases the concentration of salts and affects the inherent nutrient equilibrium of soils, negatively affecting plant productivity. It is of paramount importance to develop innovative fertilizers that can release their nutrients in a slow and steady way in order to increase crop yield, improve quality, and improve the overall sustainability of agricultural systems
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