Nanofertilizers in soils and nitrous oxide emissions

At the end of the project, documents will be generated that demonstrate:

1. Feasibility of the different synthesis methodologies used to formulate nano-fertilizers with active and stable surfaces
2. Establishment of environmental risk ranking of nano-fertilizers on terrestrial organisms
3. Establishment of methodologies for the use of nano-fertilizers that increase the efficiency in using nutrients and biomass production
4. Evaluation of the nano-fertilizers effect on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil
5. Evaluation of potential mitigation in N2O and CO2 emissions.
6. Categorization of the environmental impact of nano-fertilizers on a terrestrial organism under laboratory conditions using the mean effective concentration (EC50) of nano-fertilizer evaluated.
7. Publication of scientific paper.

Currently, it has been obtained:

• Manufacture of TiO2, ZnO and zeolite nanofertilizers: analysis in crops of Avena sativa - Tithonia diversifolia - Cenchrus clandestinus - Lolium perenne - Medicago sativa - Zea mays under greenhouse.
• Use of TiO nanoparticles, balanced fertilization in Lolium perenne crops in greenhouse conditions: Improvement in biomass production on a dry basis by 25% and in nitrogen recovery efficiency by 24%.
• Experimental design with 12 treatments, 3 replicates per treatment, and 4 experimental cuts with 3, 6, and 9 g of balanced fertilizer: Increase biomass by 8.9% in treatments without fertilization.
• Establishment of experimental plots with corn crops in Ecuador and Colombia.
• Scientific article published
• Project proposal for the Creation of the Spin-off.