Innovative Nano-Coated Fertilizer Enhances Efficiency and Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Most nutrient fertilizers are developed as water-soluble pellets to help plants easily absorb nutrients. However, precisely calculating the exact fertilizer amount plants need is challenging, leading farmers to consistently over-fertilize to ensure optimal crop growth and production. The result is that excess fertilizer not only dissolves uselessly but also causes soil degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Typical fertilizers, especially urea, dissolve quickly, with over 60% typically lost in each application. These fertilizers accumulate in soil and water sources, increasing soil acidity, causing algal blooms, and generating nitrous oxide (N2O) - a greenhouse gas with 265 times more global warming potential than carbon dioxide. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, through the National Nanotechnology Center (Nanotech), has developed NANO nCote, a Controlled Release Fertilizer (CRF) designed to maximize fertilizer efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and decrease fertilization cycles for economic crops like rice, sugarcane, and corn to just one application per growing cycle. Dr. Kanitha Boonpavanitchakul from the Advanced Agricultural Nanotechnology Research Team explained that the research team used nanocomposite coating technology to produce a modified natural polymer-based coating with biodegradable properties for fertilizer pellets. The coating acts as a film layer controlling nutrient release, preventing rapid dissolution and gradually releasing nutrients through film diffusion. This controlled-release fertilizer allows plants to absorb over 90% of nutrients, compared to just 40-60% in uncoated fertilizers. The coating can control nutrient release for up to six months, sufficient for one production cycle without repeated applications. Field tests over the past decade showed promising results: sugarcane production increased by 45-100% depending on the variety, while animal feed corn production rose approximately 17%, all achieved with just one fertilizer application per production cycle.