Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Before exploring the application of nanotechnology in fertilizer inputs in more
detail, it may be worthwhile to take note of where around the world these innova-
tions are originating. Sorting nanofertilizer patents from Fig.
2.1b
based on country
of filing indicates that about three quarters of these patents are of Chinese origin,
with the USA and South Korea as two other major contributors in this area (see
Fig.
2.2
).
Current applications of nanotechnology in fertilizer and plant protection can be
divided into three categories as shown in Fig.
2.3
. Note that in many cases, these
three categories have considerable overlap, and certain products may be best
described as a combination of more than one category. The three categories of
nanotechnologies for fertilizer inputs and plant protection are described below:
1. Nanoscale fertilizer inputs. This category describes examples of a nanosized
reformulation of a fertilizer input. The fertilizer or supplement is reduced in size,
using mechanical or chemical methods, down to the nanoscale. The input is
typically in the form of nanoparticles but may also be in other forms.
2. Nanoscale additives. This category includes examples where the nanomaterials
are added to bulk (
100 nm scale) product. These nanomaterials may be a
supplement material added for an ancillary reason, such as water retention or
pathogen control in plants or soils.
3. Nanoscale coatings or host materials for fertilizers. This category describes
nano-thin films or nanoporous materials used for the controlled release of the
nutrient input. These include, for example, zeolites, other clays, and thin poly-
mer coatings.
>
As mentioned above, certain fertilizer input formulations may fall into more than
one category. For example, a nanoscale fertilizer particle may also be incorporated
into a nanoporous host material, yielding a final product that would fall into
Categories 1 and 3.
Fig. 2.2 Results from searches of the SciFinder database (accessed January 4, 2014) show that
about 75 % of nanotechnology fertilizers patents are originating from China
