Nanotechnology has been utilized to promote sustainable agriculture. Therefore, it is imperative to analyze the economic benefits of innovative nanoformulations that include nanofertilizers.
Keeping this in mind, scientists have evaluated the potential profit/loss linked to nanofertilizers. The effect of nanofertilizers on the net revenue, change in greenhouse gas emissions, increased net revenue from agricultural crops, and beneficial environmental impacts are some of the topics discussed.
Meeting Increased Demand for Agricultural Products
The continual expansion of the global population has significantly increased the demand for all types of agricultural crops. Although the conventional farming system, via the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, increases crop yield, these chemicals have detrimental effects on the environment. Farmers have inclined to overuse these fertilizers, much more than the amount required by the plants. A high dose of conventional fertilizer does not further increase crop yield; instead, it gets wasted in the agricultural field.
Nanotechnology has been applied in agriculture to increase crop yield. Applying different nanoformulations, such as nanofertilizers and nanopesticides, has demonstrated encouraging results. Nanofertilizers add nutrient value to plants, which can alleviate certain nutrient deficiencies caused by low consumption of calcium, zinc, and iron.
Nanofertilizers positively influence varied stages of plant growth, including seed germination, plant growth, flowering, and fruiting. In addition, some nanofertilizers, such as zinc oxide nanoparticles and nanomolybdenum, can remediate soil contaminated with heavy metals (e.g., cadmium, arsenic, and copper).
Challenges Associated with Fertilizers
A complete or partial replacement of conventional fertilizers with nanofertilizers is possible for cultivating nutrient-demanding crops, such as rice, wheat, grape, pear, and apple. It is important to determine whether enhanced production of commercially important crops can counterbalance the increased cost of nanofertilizers.
The production of fertilizers is a prominent contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For instance, the production of nitrogen fertilizers accounts for around 2% of global energy consumption.
In addition, microbial nitrification and denitrification of the residual fertilizer in farmlands cause the release of about 60% of total anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions.
