Use of nano-fertilizers to improve the nutrient use efficiencies in plants

Application of nano-biotechnology in agriculture is an emerging practice to improve the crop productivity by delivering the nutrients to plants in a controlled release manner. However, it offers an alternative solution to overcome the disadvantages of conventional practices as replacement of nano-fertilizer. This chapter presented an innovative overview on the use of nano-fertilizer for improvement of nutrient use efficiency, increase crop yield and reduce the excessive use of chemical fertilizers. The properties of nano-sized fertilizers have been discussed that contain macro and/or micronutrients and applied frequently in small amounts. Recently, nutrient use efficiency has been considered as serious research issue for field crops. So, the nano-fertilizer is considered as more responsive which enter to the plant cell by epidermis and allow to gradual release, targeted distribution, and reducing nutrients excess and enhance nutrient use efficiency (NUE). Further, optimum level of nano-fertilizer application could increase the nutrients use efficiency by reduced the toxic effects of NPs on plants to overcome the oxidative damage and regulation the antioxidative defense mechanism. This study critically insight on the improvement of nutrients use efficiency by replacing the conventional fertilizer to nano-fertilizer that has less antagonistic effects on the environment.