DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF DUAL SUBSTITUTED (K+ AND NO3−) CALCIUM PHOSPHATE NANOFERTILIZER

Abstract

Calcium Phosphate (CaP) urea based nanofertilizer is a new frontier and alternative to commercial fertilizer in enhancing plant yield in nutrient defficient soil. This study will substituted CaP (Ca10-x/2-aKa(PO4)6-y(NO3)y(OH)2) with nutrient and thereafter form a CaP-urea nanofertilizer composite (NKHA) using wet chemical technique. A combination of essential nutrient and minor nutrient is proposed as substituent nutrient such as K+ and NO3¯. The crystallinity, chemical constituent and particle sizes was investigated using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The physicochemical properties of NKHA revealed a crystallite size (dScherer) of 60.54 nm, particle size from TEM (STEM) of 30.50 nm, Ca/P ratio of 1.67 and globular morphology.Variance plant activities; such as folia growth rates are analyzed after applying 2, 4 and 6 g of synthesized NKHA on selected plant samples. The influence of the substituted ions in NKHA reveal enhanced plant yield and folia growth.