Recent advances in phosphorus nano-fertilizers: Impacts on crop productivity and soil sustainability

Phosphorus nano-fertilizers (P-nFs) can play a key role in the future of sustainable food production. Controlled release properties of these fertilizers reduce the leaching and eutrophication problems, reducing the fertilizer application rate, thereby ensuring nutrient use efficiency and reducing the input cost substantially. When traditional phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the soil, they get fixed in the soil, which results in limited availability to the plants. This leads to excessive fertilizer application. The aid of nanotechnology could overcome this problem. Nano phosphorus fertilizers are not fixed in the soil, and their release rate can be controlled, making them available for a longer duration in the growing season. This makes the nano phosphorus fertilizers environment-friendly and more efficient than traditional fertilizers. This paper provides a detailed review of the recent studies of nano phosphorus fertilizers in agriculture, and specific basic concerns and existing gaps in research need to be addressed and resolved. Despite these promising benefits, challenges such as synthesis scalability, environmental safety, and regulatory gaps continue to hinder large-scale adoption of P-nFs.