A BRIEF REVIEW ON MATERIALS USED IN CONTROLLED-RELEASE FERTILISER FORMULATIONS

Abstract

The excessive use of fertiliser and uncontrolled release of nutrient into soil environment have caused a significant eutrophication issue and groundwater contamination. These scenarios have necessitated the development of eco-friendly controlled-release fertilisers (CRFs) for agricultural purposes. In recent years, several materials have been developed and tested to control the release of nutrients particularly in agricultural soils. Although, a number of controlled release fertilisers have shown a great potential to sustain nutrients release, their performance is greatly influenced by the type of soil, plant species and climate. This review focuses on the development of controlled-release fertilisers using different starting materials or precursors. The technique of synthesis , the rate of nutrients release, the characteristics and drawbacks of controlled-release fertilisers developed have also been highlighted in this review. This review is beneficial to scientists in the field of food science, especially innovative agrochemical formulations to improve food production as well as to mitigate the nutrients leaching to groundwater.