Magnesium, zinc, and copper nutrient nanoparticles infused sodium alginate-carboxymethyl cellulose-based nano-hybrids as an efficient slow-release fertilizer Koshila Maduwanthi 1 , I. Munaweera 1* , W.P.T.D. Perera 2 1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, 2 Panam Biotech Pvt (Ltd), Homagama, Sri Lanka According to the United Nations, Sustainable Development Goal 2 is to "create a world free of hunger by 2030" Slow-release fertilizer is a promising method for controlling fertilizer usage and increasing agricultural productivity. Recent scientific advances in the agricultural field offer a significant promise in the usage of both the nanotechnology and slow-release concepts simultaneously. This study attempts a slow-release nano-formulation infused with the macronutrient magnesium and the two micronutrients copper and zinc which are vital for plant enzyme activities, 1 as little emphasis has been placed on nutrients outside nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium- infused slow-release fertilizer. By adding Mg, Zn, and Cu plant nutrients in their nano oxide forms, nanomaterial characteristics were obtained. The plant nutrient nanoparticles were loaded into a sodium alginate-carboxymethyl cellulose (SA-CMC) polymer matrix to achieve the slow-release property. Sonicating ZnO, MgO, and CuO nanoparticles with a SA-CMC polymer composite was used to create the fertilizer formulation, which was then crosslinked with Ca 2+ to generate the nano-hybrid beads. The oxide nanoparticles were created using the sol-gel technique. Nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Image J software was used to examine the nanoparticle sizes, and it found that the average particle sizes for MgO, CuO, and ZnO nanoparticles were 110 nm, 220 nm, and 285 nm respectively. While SEM elaborated on the distribution of the nanoparticles over the SA-CMC, FTIR spectroscopy demonstrated the creation of Ca 2+ crosslinks between the polymer chains. Using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy(FAAS), the fertilizer formulation digested upon concentrated HCl and concentrated HNO 3 was examined to determine the amount of nutrients present. Nutrients Zn, Mg, and Cu each had content percentages of 0.9%, 1.17%, and 0.15% respectively. The investigation conducted on the nutrient release in a water medium with a pH of 7.2 showed that the release of Zn, Mg, and Cu occurred at a gradual rate into the medium. The content examination of the release, conducted using FAAS, revealed that there was a release of 11.23%, 22.73%, and 3.03% over 11, 6, and 6 days of the total Zn, Mg, and Cu content respectively. The efficacy of the fertilizer was assessed by a trial including the cultivation of Mung bean plants over a period of 47 consecutive days. The statistical analysis conducted provided evidence of significant increases in both plant height and the quantity of pods observed in the plants that received treatment with the slow-release nano-hybrid fertilizer. References 1. Soetan KO, Olaiya CO, Oyewole OE. The importance of mineral elements for humans, domestic animals and plants: A review. African journal of food science. 2010 May 31;4(5):200-22.
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