Novel development of sustainable nanofertilizers from olive pomace waste

Abstract

The increasing demand for cost-effective and sustainable advanced nanoparticles, particularly for agricultural applications, highlights the critical need for innovative solutions that support the agricultural growing area. This investigation introduces a novel eco-friendly fabrication technique for calcium oxide and magnesium oxide nanoparticles (CaO and MgO NPs) harnessing bioactive molecules in olive pomace waste as a reducing agent. After characterization, the CaO and MgO NPs clearly revealed their well-defined crystalline nature, with CaO exhibiting a cubic morphology and MgO a spherical morphology, with average diameters of 53 nm and 18 nm, respectively. The differential dose-dependent responses of CaO and MgO NPs on various soil microbiota demonstrated varying inhibitory and stimulatory species-specific growth effects. Moreover, the remarkable capacity of CaO and MgO NPs to significantly enhance seed germination and seedling growth across diverse crops, including Trigonella foenum-graecum, Solanum lycopersicum, and Triticum aestivum, was found to be concentration-dependent. Furthermore, results on seeds exposed to dual stress demonstrated that the nanoparticles exhibited notable biological activity in alleviating inhibitory effects at specific concentrations, suggesting their potential as a tool for stress management and the development of sustainable nanofertilizers.