Beig Bilal, Niazi Muhammad Bilal Khan, Jahan Zaib, Haider Ghulam, Zia Munir, Shah Ghulam Abbas, Iqbal Zahid, Hayat Asim
Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Department of Plant Biotechnology, Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Front Plant Sci. 2023 Jan 17;13:1058219. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1058219. eCollection 2022.
Nitrogen (N) losses from conventional fertilizers in agricultural systems are very high, which can lead to serious environmental pollution with economic loss. In this study, innovative slow-release fertilizers were prepared using zinc (Zn) [nanoparticles (NPs) or in bulk], using molasses as an environmentally friendly coating. Several treatments were prepared using Zn in different concentrations (i.e., 0.25%, 0.5%, and 4% elemental Zn). The zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were prepared from zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO·7HO), and were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Furthermore, the Zn-loaded urea samples were tested for urea N release rate, leaching of water from soil, and crushing strength to assess the impact of coating on the final finished product. Pot experiments were conducted simultaneously to check the agronomic effects of Zn-coated slow-release urea on the growth and development of wheat ( L.). The laboratory and pot results confirmed that the ZnO-NP treatments boost wheat growth and yield as a result of reduced N and Zn release. UZnNPs2 (urea coated with 0.5% ZnO-NPs and 5% molasses) demonstrated the best results among all the treatments in terms of slow nutrient release, N and Zn uptake, and grain yield. The UZnNPs2 treatment increased plant yield by 34% (i.e., 4,515 vs. 3,345 kg ha) relative to the uncoated prill-treated crop because of the slower release of Zn and N.
农业系统中传统肥料的氮（N）损失非常高，这可能导致严重的环境污染并造成经济损失。在本研究中，使用锌（Zn）[纳米颗粒（NPs）或块状]并以糖蜜作为环保型包衣制备了创新型缓释肥料。使用不同浓度的锌（即0.25%、0.5%和4%的元素锌）制备了几种处理方法。氧化锌纳米颗粒（ZnO-NPs）由七水硫酸锌（ZnSO₄·7H₂O）制备，并通过扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X射线衍射（XRD）和傅里叶变换红外（FTIR）光谱进行表征。此外，对负载锌的尿素样品进行了尿素氮释放率、土壤水分淋溶和抗压强度测试，以评估包衣对最终成品的影响。同时进行了盆栽试验，以检验锌包衣缓释尿素对小麦（Triticum aestivum L.）生长发育的农艺效应。实验室和盆栽结果证实，ZnO-NP处理由于减少了氮和锌的释放，促进了小麦的生长和产量。UZnNPs2（涂覆有0.5%ZnO-NPs和5%糖蜜的尿素）在所有处理中，在养分缓慢释放、氮和锌吸收以及谷物产量方面表现出最佳结果。由于锌和氮的释放较慢，UZnNPs2处理相对于未包衣颗粒处理的作物使植物产量提高了34%（即4515对3345 kg/ha）。
