Novel Integrated Nanofertilizers for Improving the Growth of Polyscias fruticosa and Asparagus officinalis

Abstract

The study of nanotechnology has been focused in recent years on the application in various fields including agriculture. Nanofertilizers were suggested to have the ability to supply plants with nutrients more effectively and thus significantly improve crop productivity. Previous studies reported the fabrication of nanofertilizers that contained only one or two essential elements. The addition of other nutrients is necessary for promoting plant development. Therefore, in this study, a novel integrated nanofertilizer containing both macro- and micronutritional elements was synthesized and characterized. The results showed that the prepared fertilizer had the rod shape and nanosize of 20-30 nm in width and 80 nm in length. Treatment of Polyscias fruticosa and Asparagus officinalis crops with the integrated nanofertilizer increased the number of branches, leaf area, dry matter production, and total biomass up to 50% at using level of 5% compared to nontreatment groups.