Zinc oxide nanoparticles in smart agricultural fertilization: Current developments and future perspectives

Unlocking carbon decay kinetics under varying hydrothermal regimes: insights from long-term nutrient supply strategies in the subtropical rice-wheat system

Conventional nitrogen fertilization frequently results in soil degradation and environmental pollution. While the isolated effects of nitrogen reduction, organic amendments, or biochar have been explored, their synergistic interactions remain inadequately understood. This two-year field study in Yunnan, China, addressed this gap by evaluating the coupling effects of biochar (applied at 10, 15, and 20 t ha⁻¹) with three organic fertilizers (chicken manure, cattle manure, and earthworm castings) under a consistent 40% nitrogen reduction. The primary objective was to establish a technical pathway for synergistic fertilizer reduction, waste utilization, and sustainable soil management. Results demonstrated that the combination of earthworm castings and biochar (15 t ha⁻¹), designated as treatment F3B2, most significantly enhanced soil nutrient supply and microbial diversity. This treatment yielded the highest relative abundance of the top 10 bacterial genera and maximum bacterial Chao1 indices of 3028.06 and 3087.18 in the first and second years, representing increases of 10.13% and 18.50% compared to the control (CK), respectively. Agronomically, the F3B2 treatment increased tomato yield by 23.75% and vitamin C content by 14.65% in the second year. Furthermore, TOPSIS analysis consistently ranked F3B2 as the optimal integrated management strategy. This study provides a replicable paradigm for green and efficient production in protected vegetable cultivation systems. In conclusion, the integrated application of organic fertilizer and biochar under reduced nitrogen conditions synergistically optimizes soil health—particularly by enhancing the microbial community—and significantly promotes tomato growth, yield, and quality.

Amid growing concerns over environmental change and increasing food demand, the development of sustainable agricultural practices is becoming increasingly urgent. Black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) is widely recognized for its ability to convert organic waste into high-value protein for animal feed. However, the potential of BSF by-products, including frass/exuviae, as soil amendments remains insufficiently studied. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different BSF by-products on plant growth, photosynthesis, pest performance, and defense-related hormone dynamics. We tested BSF frass/exuviae subjected to fermentation and granulation, alongside unprocessed materials, using bok choy (Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis cv. Chun Xiu) and its pest, the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), as a model system. Plant performance, photosynthetic traits, aphid population growth, defense gene expression, and hormone levels were measured across treatments. Processing by fermentation or granulation did not alter plant growth or photosynthetic performance compared with unprocessed BSF by-products. Across treatments, BSF by-products promoted lower overall plant growth than conventional chemical fertilizers but significantly increased the root-to-shoot ratio. Aphid population growth and several defense-related genes were not significantly affected. However, salicylic acid (SA) levels were elevated in treated plants even in the absence of herbivory, indicating activation of defense pathways. Our findings indicate that black BSF frass/exuviae represent functionally relevant insect-derived inputs capable of contributing to crop protection. By altering plant biomass allocation and inducing SA-associated defenses, these by-products may indirectly affect herbivore performance.

ABSTRACT Enhancing sustainability in intensive vegetable production systems, such as raised-bed plasticulture with drip irrigation, requires precise nitrogen (N) management to balance productivity with environmental stewardship. Field experiments and 15N tracer studies demonstrated that conventional fertilizer practices in sandy soils were often associated with low recovery of applied N, indicating substantial inefficiencies when application rates and timing exceeded crop demand. Aligning N inputs more closely with crop requirements maintained adequate plant nutrition and favorable soil C:N ratios but did not result in measurable increases in soil organic matter, highlighting the need for complementary soil management practices in systems with inherently low organic carbon. To improve synchronization between N availability and crop uptake, controlled-release fertilizers were evaluated as alternatives to split-applied soluble urea. When applied at rates aligned with crop N requirements, controlled-release fertilizers improved nitrogen use efficiency, reduced labor requirements, and supported yield stability, particularly under warm-season production conditions characterized by rapid soil N turnover and elevated irrigation demand. Economic analyses indicated that, despite higher upfront fertilizer costs, controlled-release fertilizers improved net returns through labor savings and more consistent marketable yields. Collectively, these results support a nutrient management framework that integrates optimized fertilizer rates, improved fertilizer technologies, and complementary practices such as cover cropping. This approach offers a practical pathway for improving agronomic efficiency and economic viability while reducing the risk of N losses, and provides field-based evidence to inform extension, policy, and nutrient management programs focused on sustainable vegetable production.

Meeting the growing global food demand under increasingly restrictive environmental conditions requires sustainable strategies that go beyond conventional fertilization. Traditional fertilizers are constrained by diminishing yield returns and increasing ecological costs, underscoring the need for catalytic materials capable of precisely modulating plant metabolism rather than merely supplying nutrients. Here, we report the development of a maifan stone-derived nanozyme fabricated through controlled homogenization and nanomaterialization of a naturally abundant silicate mineral. The resulting nanozyme exhibits intrinsic peroxidase-like activity, enabling it to function as a redox signaling modulator in plants. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization revealed that maifan stone nanozyme (MFS nanozyme) possess robust catalytic stability across a broad range of physiological conditions. Using Nicotiana benthamiana as a model system, we demonstrate that MFS nanozyme finely regulates intracellular redox homeostasis by modulating·OH levels, thereby inducing a mild oxidative stimulus that activates endogenous antioxidant defense pathways. This redox-mediated signaling cascade promotes root system development and improves macronutrient uptake. Compared with the untreated controls, the MFS nanozyme treatment increased the wheat yield by approximately 18%, and this increase was accompanied by increased nutrient accumulation. Notably, the MFS nanozyme also mitigate moderate saline-alkaline stress, indicating their capacity to increase plant stress resistance. Collectively, our findings establish natural mineral nanozymes as a previously unrecognized class of redox homeostasis regulators and micronutrient carriers that integrate catalytic regulation with nutrient utilization to drive sustainable yield enhancement. This work provides a mechanistic framework for the development of low-cost, environmentally friendly nanozyme-based fertilizers, offering a scalable pathway toward next-generation sustainable agriculture.

Aphids are a major pest of greenhouse-grown temperate crops, responsible for billions in crop damage yearly. As organic agriculture rapidly grows in popularity, understanding how plants grown under organic systems respond to insect pest pressure may give insights into better management practices and information about the genes of interest for crop improvement. We measured the response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaf and fruit transcriptome, as well as a few selected metabolites in the mature fruit, to an infestation of the generalist green peach aphid (Myzus persicae). The aphids were introduced approximately halfway through the lifecycle of the plants that were grown under conventional and organic fertilizer regimes. While plants provided with conventional fertilizer experienced greater aphid infestation, neither group suffered a significant loss in total yield or fruit quality. This result is likely a consequence of ample nutrient and water availability. Co-expression network analysis using WGCNA revealed that in leaf tissue, both treatment groups showed a general shift from diverse anabolic processes to catabolism, while fruit tissue experienced relatively minor changes. At the stage of infestation investigated, abscisic acid appeared to be the main phytohormone response. One coexpression network module showed a correlation with both organic fertilizer treatment and aphid infestation; its hub gene (Solyc02g078940.3) may be of interest in exploring unique responses to phloem feeding insect infestation under an organic fertilizer regime.

Soil quality is a critical determinant of agricultural productivity and sustainability. The symbiotic nitrogen fixation by Azolla plays a key role in enhancing soil quality. However, despite its potential as a green manure for enhancing soil quality, the role of Azolla in paddy systems remains inadequately characterized. This study aims to elucidate the effects of Azolla on soil quality by examining nutrient cycling dynamics and microbial community composition, along with their interactions. We integrated soil physicochemical analyses, enzyme activity assays, bacterial community profiling, co-occurrence network analysis, and correlation assessments to evaluate the effects of Azolla on soil microbial ecology. Rice monoculture (R) and rice-Azolla co-cultivation (RA) systems were established. RA significantly increased activities of carbon- and nitrogen-cycle-related enzymes by 3-44% (P < 0.05), while phosphorus-cycle-related enzyme activities decreased by 12-42%. Under high nitrogen fertilization, Azolla altered bacterial community structure and reduced alpha diversity. Notably, Azolla recruited specific functional taxa-including Haliangium, SC-I-84, Candidatus_Solibacter, Anaerolinea, and Sphingomonas-whose relative abundances were 1.03-1.33 times higher in RA than in R. This study elucidates the interactions between soil properties and microbial communities under Azolla application and uncovers the mechanisms by which Azolla enhances soil quality through nutrient cycling. Our findings demonstrate that Azolla, as a green manure, not only elevates soil nutrient content but also improves soil quality by driving microbe-mediated nutrient recycling. These results underscore the potential of Azolla as a sustainable alternative to conventional fertilization practices, offering novel insights into biofertilizer strategies for agricultural soil enhancement.

Core-shell biochar-zeolite fertilizer with starch coating: Boosting nutrient use in saline-alkaline rice soils via smart drone delivery & economic assessment.

Nanofertilizers: A new Era in sustainable agriculture

Biostimulant-mediated enhancement of productivity and quality of Indian mustard under contrasting agro-climatic environments in India

Growth performances, meat quality and intestinal histomorphology in broilers fed zinc-enriched Camelina sativa seeds from agronomic biofortification

Engineering of Azotobacter chroococcum enables potential replacement of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and mitigation of nitrogen pollutants release under medium-fertility field conditions.

Influence of humic acids on the interaction between soil bacterial communities and nutrient-based nanoagrochemicals

The evolving nature of India’s agricultural sector presents persistent challenges in operational efficiency, particularly for small-scale agrarian communities. Conventional manual fertilizer application is labour-intensive and physically demanding, often leading to operator exhaustion and sub-optimal crop nourishment. While high-end motorized or tractor-trailed equipment exists, the associated capital costs remain prohibitive for marginal farmers. This research presents the engineering of a manually operated, dual-row liquid fertilizer micro-doser. Utilizing purely mechanical principles, the system ensures precise nutrient delivery directly to the root zones. The device is constructed on a stable four-wheel mild steel chassis. An eccentric crank-driven assembly automates an internal pressure pump, drawing from a 16L HDPE reservoir to provide continuous discharge without reliance on batteries or fossil fuels. Initial field trials indicate that the prototype effectively doubles ap

The biochar and microbial inoculant are commonly used amendments in soil improvement, but their effectiveness in protective agriculture is currently unclear. Based on this, this study takes the pepper vegetable greenhouse located in Zhuxi Town, Chongqing as the research object, and selects biochar prepared from corn straw and rice straw, as well as microbial inoculant, as the improvement materials. Five treatments were established, including corn straw biochar alone (CB), rice straw biochar alone (RB), microbial inoculant alone (CKM), combined corn straw biochar and microbial inoculant application (CBM), and combined rice biochar and microbial inoculant application (RBM), conventional fertilization was used as a control. This study explores the changes in soil physicochemical properties of protected vegetable production under different treatments at distinct time points (first, third, and fifth months after returning field) and soil depth (0-10cm and 10-20cm). The results demonstrated that the overall soil bulk density increased With the increase of returning time. There was no significant difference in the soil capillary porosity or mineral-associated organic carbon content (P > 0.05), whereas the other soil properties decreased with increasing return field time. In contrast, the soil bulk density (BD) increased with increasing soil depth. Except the capillary porosity, which exhibited no significant differences at different depths (P > 0.05), all the other soil properties demonstrated downward trends with increasing depth. After 5months of transplantation, the soil carbon pool management index of RBM treatment was higher than that of CBM treatment, with a 4.35% increase. The soil health index was 14.51% lower than that of CBM. However, the differences in soil carbon pool management index and soil health index between the two treatments did not reach a significant level. Overall, the RBM and CBM showed better improvement effects on soil carbon pool management index and soil health status, making them the better ratios for vegetable greenhouse farmland soil improvement in this study.

The intensive use of agricultural inputs and the increasing incorporation of nano-materials into crop management practices raise concerns about their ecotoxicological interactions in plant systems. This study evaluated phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity in Allium cepa L. under experimental nano-agrochemical exposure scenarios combining two conventional nitrogen fertilizers—ammonium sulfate (AS) and urea—with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Biological responses were assessed across fertilizer concentrations (0.03–0.5 g/L), applied individually, simultaneously, and sequentially, to identify modulatory effects of AgNPs on plant proliferative activity and genomic stability. Results showed the relative stability of morphophysiological indicators associated with root growth, whereas cytogenetic biomarkers exhibited selective alterations under specific conditions. Significant increases in genetic damage markers were detected at intermediate ammonium sulfate concentrations, suggesting sublethal phytotoxicity windows not reflected by macroscopic growth parameters. In addition, modulation of the mitotic index and absence of generalized genotoxic effects in most combined or sequential treatments indicate that AgNPs primarily acted as modulators of proliferative responses rather than direct cytotoxic agents. Overall, these findings highlight the dynamic and non-linear nature of nano-agrochemical interactions in plant systems and underscore the importance of multibiomarker approaches for the early detection of genomic instability. The results provide experimental evidence relevant to the environmental risk assessment of nano-enabled fertilization strategies under realistic mixed-exposure scenarios. This study contributes to advancing the ecotoxicological understanding of emerging agricultural technologies and supports the need for further mechanistic research and field-based evaluations to guide the safe and sustainable use of nanomaterials in crop production.

Sustainable integrated nutrient management addresses soil degradation and fertilizer inefficiency by combining nano-nutrients, organic manure, and bio-inoculants. The field experiment was conducted during the 2024 rabi season at KVK, Ghazipur, using a randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. Wheat variety DBW-187 was cultivated with a standard RDF of 150:60:40 kg ha⁻¹. Treatments integrated conventional fertilizers with farmyard manure (5 t ha⁻¹), NPK consortia seed treatments, and foliar-applied nano-urea (4% w/v). Post-harvest soil samples from 0–15 cm depth were analyzed for microbial biomass carbon using chloroform fumigation-extraction, while dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and urease activities were estimated via standard colourimetric and quantification methods. Integrated nutrient management significantly enhanced wheat productivity and soil biological health, following the hierarchy T4 &gt; T6 &gt; T5 &gt; T7 &gt; T9 &gt; T8 &gt; T2 &gt; T3 &gt; T1. Treatment T4 (100% RDF + FYM) achieved the highest grain yield (6.20 t/ha), microbial biomass carbon (342.6 mg/kg), and enzymatic activities. Notably, T6 (100% RDF + Nano-Urea) outperformed conventional RDF (T2), yielding 5.72 t/ha and 315.7 mg/kg SMBC. This superiority stems from the higher efficiency of nano-fertilisers and the carbon-rich substrate provided by FYM, which stimulated bacterial (32.5times 106 CFU/g) and fungal (16.4 times 104 CFU/g) proliferation. Integrating nano-urea with organic manure and bio-inoculants significantly boosts wheat yields and soil health. The combination of RDF and FYM (T4) optimises microbial activity and productivity. Graphical Abstract

Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) is an increasingly popular leafy vegetable in Bangladesh due to its high nutritional value and growing consumer preference for fresh salads. However, productivity remains low compared to major lettuce-producing countries like China and USA, largely because of inadequate cultivar selection and suboptimal nutrient management. The current study was carried out at Gazipur Agricultural University in Bangladesh during the winter to assess the growth performance, yield potential, and economic viability of three lettuce cultivars viz. Green Wave, Grand Rapids, and Iceberg under organic and conventional fertilization systems. Three cultivars and two fertilization techniques were combined in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Evaluations of yield, profitability, and growth characteristics (plant height, quantity, size, and area of leaves) were observed and analyzed. Results revealed significant interaction effects between cultivar and fertilization method for most growth and yield parameters. The Iceberg cultivar produced the highest marketable yield under conventional fertilization (31.0 t ha -1 ), while organic fertilization enhanced plant height and leaf area in Green Wave. Economic analysis indicated that Iceberg grown under organic fertilization provided the highest benefit-cost ratio (1.84), owing to premium market prices and lower input costs. Overall, the study demonstrates that cultivar choice strongly influences lettuce performance under different fertilization systems, and that organic cultivation of Iceberg lettuce offers a profitable and sustainable option for Bangladeshi farmers.

Agricultural systems currently occupy nearly 40–50% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and are central to global food security, yet they face increasing pressure due to rapid population growth and environmental degradation. However, increasing population pressure and the need for higher food production have intensified the demand for efficient nutrient management strategies. Conventional fertilizers, although widely used, suffer from low nutrient use efficiency due to substantial losses through leaching, volatilization, runoff, and fixation, leading to environmental degradation and economic inefficiencies. These losses contribute to groundwater contamination, eutrophication, greenhouse gas emissions, and deterioration of soil health. In response to these challenges, smart fertilizers have emerged as an innovative approach to enhance nutrient use efficiency and promote sustainable agriculture. These include nano fertilizers and slow or controlled release fertilizers, which are designed to synchronize nutrient availability with plant demand. Nano fertilizers, owing to their small particle size, high surface area, and enhanced reactivity, facilitate improved nutrient absorption and targeted delivery while minimizing environmental losses. Similarly, slow and controlled release fertilizers regulate nutrient release through coating materials and matrix systems, ensuring a steady nutrient supply over time and reducing the frequency of fertilizer application. The adoption of these advanced fertilizer technologies offers multiple agronomic, environmental, and economic benefits, including improved crop productivity, reduced nutrient losses, enhanced soil fertility, and lower environmental risks. Furthermore, they play a crucial role in achieving sustainable intensification of agriculture by optimizing resource use and minimizing ecological footprints. Overall, smart fertilizers represent a promising solution for addressing the limitations of conventional fertilization practices and advancing sustainable agricultural systems. Continued research and technological development are essential to improve their efficiency, scalability, and field-level applicability under diverse agro-ecological conditions.