Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability
Abstract Chemical fertilizers (CFs) are indispensable nutrients source for plants replenishing them with essential nutrients. However, their over-utilization imposed destructive consequences of excessive loss of major nutrients resulting in low nutrient use efficiency and further environmental conce...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-90367-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849389919747702784 |
|---|---|
| author | Muhammad Imran Rafique Mohammad I. Al-Wabel Abdullah S. F. Al-Farraj Munir Ahmad Taieb Aouak Hamed Ahmed Al-Swadi Mohammed Awad Mousa |
| author_facet | Muhammad Imran Rafique Mohammad I. Al-Wabel Abdullah S. F. Al-Farraj Munir Ahmad Taieb Aouak Hamed Ahmed Al-Swadi Mohammed Awad Mousa |
| author_sort | Muhammad Imran Rafique |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Chemical fertilizers (CFs) are indispensable nutrients source for plants replenishing them with essential nutrients. However, their over-utilization imposed destructive consequences of excessive loss of major nutrients resulting in low nutrient use efficiency and further environmental concerns. Therefore, to counter excessive application of CFs and to regulate sustainable agriculture, a novel biochar (BC)-based slow-release fertilizer (SRF) was developed by incorporating mica (MI) and semi-interpenetrating chitosan polymer (Semi-IPN) via graft co-polymerization. Fabricated SRFs were characterized and their nutrient release dynamics as well as soil water holding (WH) and water retention (WR) capacity were investigated. The results revealed that BC-based SRFs, particularly BC-SRF and BCMI-SRF, enhanced soil WH capacity by 40.61% and 47.80%, respectively, whereas the highest soil WR capacity was recorded as 32.55% and 35.52% respectively, after 30 days. The nutrients (NH4 +-N, P, K) release ratio of CF and MI was recorded in the range of 85–100%, however BC and MI incorporated SRFs showed splendid slow release nutrients dynamics and release 75.53% of NH4 +-N, 65.66% of P and 71.83% of K in a 30 days incubation experiment. Nutrient release kinetics exhibited diffusion and mass transport as the major nutrient release mechanisms, which was confirmed by the best fitted parabolic diffusion and first order kinetics models. Hence, current study inclusively demonstrated new routes for synthesis of innovative and eco-friendly SRFs with substantial slow-release performance to overcome excessive nutrient loss by application of CF. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7a64e8fb33b24cdc9249ca67f278edb5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-7a64e8fb33b24cdc9249ca67f278edb52025-08-20T03:41:49ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-03-0115111510.1038/s41598-025-90367-8Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availabilityMuhammad Imran Rafique0Mohammad I. Al-Wabel1Abdullah S. F. Al-Farraj2Munir Ahmad3Taieb Aouak4Hamed Ahmed Al-Swadi5Mohammed Awad Mousa6Soil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud UniversitySoil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud UniversitySoil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud UniversitySoil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud UniversityDepartment of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud UniversitySoil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud UniversitySoil Sciences Department, College of Food & Agricultural Sciences, King Saud UniversityAbstract Chemical fertilizers (CFs) are indispensable nutrients source for plants replenishing them with essential nutrients. However, their over-utilization imposed destructive consequences of excessive loss of major nutrients resulting in low nutrient use efficiency and further environmental concerns. Therefore, to counter excessive application of CFs and to regulate sustainable agriculture, a novel biochar (BC)-based slow-release fertilizer (SRF) was developed by incorporating mica (MI) and semi-interpenetrating chitosan polymer (Semi-IPN) via graft co-polymerization. Fabricated SRFs were characterized and their nutrient release dynamics as well as soil water holding (WH) and water retention (WR) capacity were investigated. The results revealed that BC-based SRFs, particularly BC-SRF and BCMI-SRF, enhanced soil WH capacity by 40.61% and 47.80%, respectively, whereas the highest soil WR capacity was recorded as 32.55% and 35.52% respectively, after 30 days. The nutrients (NH4 +-N, P, K) release ratio of CF and MI was recorded in the range of 85–100%, however BC and MI incorporated SRFs showed splendid slow release nutrients dynamics and release 75.53% of NH4 +-N, 65.66% of P and 71.83% of K in a 30 days incubation experiment. Nutrient release kinetics exhibited diffusion and mass transport as the major nutrient release mechanisms, which was confirmed by the best fitted parabolic diffusion and first order kinetics models. Hence, current study inclusively demonstrated new routes for synthesis of innovative and eco-friendly SRFs with substantial slow-release performance to overcome excessive nutrient loss by application of CF.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-90367-8Slow-release fertilizerWater retentionPolymerNutrient release kineticsMica |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Imran Rafique Mohammad I. Al-Wabel Abdullah S. F. Al-Farraj Munir Ahmad Taieb Aouak Hamed Ahmed Al-Swadi Mohammed Awad Mousa Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability Scientific Reports Slow-release fertilizer Water retention Polymer Nutrient release kinetics Mica |
| title | Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability |
| title_full | Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability |
| title_fullStr | Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability |
| title_short | Incorporation of biochar and semi-interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability |
| title_sort | incorporation of biochar and semi interpenetrating biopolymer to synthesize new slow release fertilizers and their impact on soil moisture and nutrients availability |
| topic | Slow-release fertilizer Water retention Polymer Nutrient release kinetics Mica |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-90367-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT muhammadimranrafique incorporationofbiocharandsemiinterpenetratingbiopolymertosynthesizenewslowreleasefertilizersandtheirimpactonsoilmoistureandnutrientsavailability AT mohammadialwabel incorporationofbiocharandsemiinterpenetratingbiopolymertosynthesizenewslowreleasefertilizersandtheirimpactonsoilmoistureandnutrientsavailability AT abdullahsfalfarraj incorporationofbiocharandsemiinterpenetratingbiopolymertosynthesizenewslowreleasefertilizersandtheirimpactonsoilmoistureandnutrientsavailability AT munirahmad incorporationofbiocharandsemiinterpenetratingbiopolymertosynthesizenewslowreleasefertilizersandtheirimpactonsoilmoistureandnutrientsavailability AT taiebaouak incorporationofbiocharandsemiinterpenetratingbiopolymertosynthesizenewslowreleasefertilizersandtheirimpactonsoilmoistureandnutrientsavailability AT hamedahmedalswadi incorporationofbiocharandsemiinterpenetratingbiopolymertosynthesizenewslowreleasefertilizersandtheirimpactonsoilmoistureandnutrientsavailability AT mohammedawadmousa incorporationofbiocharandsemiinterpenetratingbiopolymertosynthesizenewslowreleasefertilizersandtheirimpactonsoilmoistureandnutrientsavailability |