Development and Efficiency of New Micronutrient Fertilizers

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 12369

Special Issue Editor

Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Food Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Francisco Tomas y Valiente 7, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: soil chemistry; micronutrient fertilizers; environmental chemistry; remote sensing; crop nutrition; iron nutrition; soil contamination

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As is well known, crops need just 17 chemical elements for their full and optimal phenological development. Nutrients can be classified into macronutrients (C, H, N, O, P, S, Ca, Mg, K) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Cl, Mo, and Ni) in accordance to their concentrations in the plant. Traditionally, the use of synthetic chelating agents is one of the most effective ways to apply micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Ni) into the soil system by keeping the target micronutrient of the soil interactions and increasing the micronutrient bioavailability to be taken up by the plant. The potential environmental impact of these recalcitrant organic compounds into the soil makes it necessary to research new environmentally friendly sources to apply micronutrient fertilizers. On the other hand, sustainable agriculture practices are stated as using raw materials, natural resources, and by-products as components of micronutrient fertilizer formulations to meet those SDGs and align with circular economy practices.

Dr. Felipe Yunta Mezquita
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • formulations of micronutrient fertilizers
  • sorption of micronutrient fertilizers by crops
  • application ways of micronutrient fertilizers
  • environmental impact of new micronutrient fertilizers
  • micronutrient fertilizers’ interaction with soil/plant system
  • soil contamination

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1393 KiB  
Article
Comparative Efficiency of Mineral, Chelated and Nano Forms of Zinc and Iron for Improvement of Zinc and Iron in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) through Biofortification
by Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Vivek Sharma, Arvind Kumar Shukla, Vibha Verma, Sanjib Kumar Behera, Prabhjot Singh, Saqer S. Alotaibi, Ahmed Gaber and Akbar Hossain
Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2436; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122436 - 29 Nov 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3150
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs), due to their tailored properties, serve as potential sources of nutrients for the biofortification of edible grains. Chickpeas are a valued legume crop, widely consumed in developing countries. Thus, to improve the Zn and Fe content in chickpeas, a two-year study [...] Read more.
Nanoparticles (NPs), due to their tailored properties, serve as potential sources of nutrients for the biofortification of edible grains. Chickpeas are a valued legume crop, widely consumed in developing countries. Thus, to improve the Zn and Fe content in chickpeas, a two-year study was conducted to examine the potential of the foliar application of mineral (0.5% Zn and Fe), chelated (0.3% Zn and Fe) and nanoforms (0.5% ZFN) of fertilizers to enhance Zn and Fe content in chickpea. The foliar application of 0.5% ZnO NPs + 0.5% Fe2O3 NPs (ZFN) at the pre-flowering stage showed the highest potential to increase grain yield, Zn and Fe content and their uptake as a single foliar application of nano-fertilizers showed comparable results to two foliar applications of mineral and chelated forms. The grain and straw yield (14.07 and 33.04 q ha−1, respectively) under ZFN treatment was significantly higher over the control (9.20 and 27.49 q ha−1, respectively). A similar trend was observed for Zn and Fe content in grain (42.29 and 86.51 mg kg−1, respectively). For nutrient uptake, ZFN treatment showed the highest uptake of Zn and Fe in grain (604.49 and 1226.22 g ha−1, respectively) and straw (729.55 and 9184.67 g ha−1, respectively). Thus, nano-fertilizers, due to their altered structural properties, demonstrated higher translocation over the mineral and chelated forms of nutrient fertilizers and thus improved yield and nutrient content to a greater extent. Thus, the foliar application of 0.5% ZnO NPs + 0.5% Fe2O3 NPs may prove to be a feasible option for the enrichment of chickpeas with Zn and Fe to ameliorate malnutrition in burgeoning human populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Efficiency of New Micronutrient Fertilizers)
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13 pages, 2422 KiB  
Article
Interactive Effects of Foliar Application of Zinc, Iron and Nitrogen on Productivity and Nutritional Quality of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)
by Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Vivek Sharma, Arvind Kumar Shukla, Vibha Verma, Prabhjodh Singh Sandhu, Sanjib K. Behera, Prabhjot Singh, Janpriya Kaur, Harkirat Singh, Shams H. Abdel-Hafez, Ahmed Gaber, Samy Sayed and Akbar Hossain
Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2333; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112333 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3470
Abstract
Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is an important winter oilseed crop in India. It acts as a promising species for the extraction of Zn and Fe under nutrient-deficit conditions. Therefore, this study planned to determine the impact of nutritional supplementation (Zn, Fe [...] Read more.
Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is an important winter oilseed crop in India. It acts as a promising species for the extraction of Zn and Fe under nutrient-deficit conditions. Therefore, this study planned to determine the impact of nutritional supplementation (Zn, Fe and urea) on the productivity and nutritional quality of Indian mustard. In the experiment, different combinations of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) with 0.5% FeSO4·7H2O, 0.5% ZnSO4·7H2O and 1% urea at 45 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) were applied to Indian mustard. Foliar application of micronutrients along with urea enhanced the productivity and quality of the crop. Among different treatments, the foliar application of 0.5% FeSO4·7H2O + 0.5% ZnSO4·7H2O + 1% urea (FZU) at 45 and 60 DAS resulted in the maximum increase in grain (27.8%) and stover (34.47%) yield, which was statistically at par with the treatment 0.5% FeSO4·7H2O + 0.5% ZnSO4·7H2O at 45 and 60 DAS (FZ). A similar trend was observed for Zn concentration in grain and stover, as well as Fe concentration in stover. However, the Fe concentration in grain was at maximum with treatment FZU, and the results were significantly higher compared with the treatment FZ. Treatment FZU also resulted in a maximum increase in Zn and Fe uptake in grain (54.7% and 34.3%, respectively) and stover (110.5% and 46.1%, respectively), which was statistically at par with treatment FZ. Physiological efficiencies of Zn (11,838.33) and Fe (3575.887) were highest when only urea was applied along with RDF, whereas the apparent recovery efficiency of Zn and Fe was highest in treatment FZU. Overall, it is concluded that combined foliar application of, 0.5% FeSO4·7H2O + 0.5% ZnSO4·7H2O + 1% urea at 45 and 60 DAS along with RDF was found to be most effective to enhance yield, concentration and uptake of Zn and Fe in Indian mustard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Efficiency of New Micronutrient Fertilizers)
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16 pages, 4153 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of Nano Fe and Mn (hydr)oxides to Be Used as Natural Sorbents and Micronutrient Fertilizers
by María Teresa Cieschi, Marina de Francisco, Paula Herrero, Jorge Sánchez-Marcos, Jaime Cuevas, Elvira Esteban, Juan José Lucena and Felipe Yunta
Agronomy 2021, 11(9), 1876; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091876 - 17 Sep 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2163
Abstract
Fe and Mn (hydr)oxides are widely used as contaminant sorbents in water/wastewater systems but their potential use as micronutrient fertilizers is still poorly known. In this research, four nano-metal (hydr)oxides (amorphous Mn oxide (AMO), Fe-Mn binary oxide (FMBO), two-line ferrihydrite (2L-Fh) and goethite) [...] Read more.
Fe and Mn (hydr)oxides are widely used as contaminant sorbents in water/wastewater systems but their potential use as micronutrient fertilizers is still poorly known. In this research, four nano-metal (hydr)oxides (amorphous Mn oxide (AMO), Fe-Mn binary oxide (FMBO), two-line ferrihydrite (2L-Fh) and goethite) were successfully synthesized and completely characterized (infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction particle size, specific surface area, point of zero charge). AMO, FMBO and 2L-Fh were introduced to interact with AgNO3 (20.0 µM) and TlNO3 (100.0 µM) diluted solutions for three days to check their potential capability as potential Ag+ and Tl+ adsorbents. AMO and FMBO (4% w/w) were tested as nanofertilizers by arranging a hydroponic bioassay for 35 days on white lupin culture as a Mn-hyperaccumulator plant model. AMO structure was identified as an amorphous mixture of Mn oxides while FMBO was an Fe dopped birnessite. Both materials were efficient in extracting Ag+ and Tl+ although large Mn concentration was released from FMBO to the solutions. AMO and FMBO promoted Fe and Mn nutrition in plants. Synthetic iron chelate (Fe-EDDHA), present in the nutrient dissolution, could be adsorbed onto AMO surface by producing Fe and Mn accumulation in roots and increasing Mn uptake rate without toxicity symptoms. Therefore, AMO and FMBO not only demonstrated their efficiency as adsorbents, but also displayed they would be promising nanomaterials as micronutrient fertilizers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Efficiency of New Micronutrient Fertilizers)
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12 pages, 615 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Zinc Fertilization in Calcareous Soils Improves Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Productivity and Soil Zinc Status in the Rice–Wheat Cropping System
by Pepakayala Vara Lakshmi, Santosh Kumar Singh, Biswajit Pramanick, Mukesh Kumar, Ranjan Laik, Aradhna Kumari, Arvind K. Shukla, Arafat Abdel Hamed Abdel Latef, Omar M. Ali and Akbar Hossain
Agronomy 2021, 11(7), 1306; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11071306 - 27 Jun 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2667
Abstract
Rice–wheat cropping system (RWCS) is considered as the furthermost vital system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South-Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Recently, the deficiency of micronutrients like zinc (Zn) has emerged as one of the prime limitations for the sustainability issues [...] Read more.
Rice–wheat cropping system (RWCS) is considered as the furthermost vital system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South-Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Recently, the deficiency of micronutrients like zinc (Zn) has emerged as one of the prime limitations for the sustainability issues of this RWCS in Zn deficient calcareous soils, particularly in India, as a result of the calcareous typic ustifluvents taxonomic nature of the soils. Therefore, a new Zn fertilization approach for soils is very much needed in the intensive RWCS. Thus, a six-year-long investigation was designed with three different modes of Zn application, viz., the application of Zn only in the first year of study, application in alternative years, and application in every year. Four different rates of Zn applications in a hectare of area for a single year, viz., 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 kg ha−1 year−1, and times of Zn application, viz., only at first year, alternative years, and in each year. The major aims of the study were to determine Zn concentration in soil; yield; and Zn accumulation by wheat crop under different application methods of Zn. From this study, it was found that a large portion of the applied Zn was present in the residual fraction, and it was also revealed that increasing the frequency of Zn application resulted in the increment in the crystalline fraction. Significant correlation of water-soluble and exchangeable Zn (WS+EX-Zn), complexed Zn (COM-Zn), amorphous Zn (AMO-Zn), organic Zn (ORG-Zn), total Zn (TOT-Zn), grain yield, and grain Zn uptake by wheat indicated that these Zn fractions were dominant forms in the soil to be utilized by plants under rice–wheat rotation. Concerning yield and Zn uptake by wheat, it was noted that the Zn application at 10 kg ha−1 in alternate years was the best Zn application method, while application of Zn at 7.5 kg ha−1 in each year also resulted in comparable yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Efficiency of New Micronutrient Fertilizers)
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