VPI research and develop slow-release nanocarbon fertilizer
Abstract
The Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI) has researched and applied nanocarbon materials in fertilizer production, with the technique of coating nanocarbon films on urea, DAP, potassium and NPK fertilizers, helping to improve the efficiency of fertilizer use, increase crop yield by about 7%/hectare compared to using conventional fertilizers.
Nanocarbon materials (carbon nanotubes and graphene) are being considered as pioneering materials in many fields with the expectation that they can improve fertilizer use efficiency, reduce nutrient loss and minimise environmental impact.
For fertilizer products, nitrogen is considered as the main source of nutrients for plant growth, besides the effect of phosphorus and potassium on roots, flowers and the synthesis of starch, cellulose helps plants and fruits grow fast and healthy.
However, nitrogen dissolves very quickly in water, evaporates due to the formation of gaseous nitrogen compounds (NH3, NOx), stable adsorption or absorption due to nitrogen interactions with organic matter, minerals in the soil and nitrogen breakdown by microorganisms. Many studies in the world have been carried out to increase the nitrogen absorption capacity of plants, but the effectiveness is still limited.
Current developments in nanotechnology, especially nanocarbon, have provided a solution to slow the release of nitrogen in fertilizers. Specifically, nanocarbon is used as a micronutrient for plants and affects the absorption of other nutrients, germination and growth of plants.
The Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI) has researched and applied nanocarbon materials in fertilizer production, with the technique of coating nanocarbon films on urea, DAP, potassium and NPK fertilizers. After being coated with a nanocarbon film of about 1 - 2 µm, VPI's fertilizer product increased by 0.1 - 0.2% weight, keeping the nutritional content (%N in urea, %P in DAP, %K in KCl) of the original fertilizer.
According to Dr. Huynh Minh Thuan - Research and Development Center for Petroleum Processing, VPI, the actual test results on broccoli in Lam Dong show that urea is coated with a nanocarbon film to help significantly reduce the time to resolve nutrients in the water environment, increase crop yield by about 7%/hectare compared to using conventional fertilizers. In addition, the combination of this technology into all three fertilizers (urea, DAP, KCl) also increases crop yields under the same comparative conditions, which is a premise for VPI to promote the application of nanocarbon in the fertilizer field.
References
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