Agricultural fertilizers are critical for feeding the world’s population, restoring soil fertility and sustaining crops. Excessive and inefficient use of those resources can present an environmental threat, contaminating waterways and generating greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology have addressed those challenges with glass fertilizer beads. The beads control nutrient release, and the researchers say they’re environmentally compatible.
“The results show that glass fertilizers can be tailored to plant needs, slowly and sustainably releasing nutrients to boost productivity without harming soil quality,” says Danilo Manzani, a co-author of the study.
Over time, the use of agricultural chemicals has increased. In 2020, the Food and Agriculture…