Microencapsulated fertilizers for plant nutrition improvement

Abstract

Given the need to reduce the impact of the use of chemical fertilizers on the quality of food crop production, it is necessary to make fertilizer formulas, with gradual and controlled release of the active substance achieved by encapsulation, so that it can be almost completely metabolized by plants. This paper is intended to test such fertilizer compositions with controlled release, achieved by encapsulation in polymeric structures, by monitoring the biological activity of the new products, using maize and sunflower crops as target plants, crops with major impact in the agricultural sector. To achieve this objective, we obtained solid microstructures, which allow, on one hand, the incorporation of fertilizing composition, and, on the other hand, a controlled release of the active components in a period of time chosen so that an advanced absorption in the plants can take place. Based on the findings presented, the tested fertilizers can ensure high quality fertilization in terms of nutrient recovery in a greater extent, lower doses and without reducing plant productivity and reduce chemical pollution of soil.

Keywords

• fertilizer
• maize
• sunflower
• production increase
• controlled release