Aplicación de nanofertilizantes en suelo y cultivos hortícolas: una revisión sobre el potencial de la nanotecnología en Ecuador.

Abstract

Nanofertilizers are important tools in agriculture to improve crop growth, yield and quality parameters, for this reason the present study aimed to describe the use of nano fertilizers and their effects on soil and crops. The methodology of this study was qualitative with the collection of information from scientific journals of the last 5 years. The results indicated that nanofertilizers offer great potential in agriculture by improving the delivery of nutrients to plants, stimulating their growth and conserving water and nutrients in the soil, they are classified into four main types: controlled-release, for selective delivery, plant growth stimulants and controlling water and nutrient loss, In addition, application methods include foliar, seed nanopriming and soil treatment, with seed nanopriming standing out for its effectiveness in different criteria. It is worth mentioning that, in the present study, nanofertilizers outperform conventional fertilizers in absorption efficiency, control release modes, and fertilizer rate needed. It is concluded that nanofertilizers represent an innovative agricultural tool with multiple benefits, although they present challenges such as high costs and concerns about safety and regulation, their potential to improve agricultural sustainability in Ecuador and beyond is promising, requiring comprehensive collaboration between various actors to maximize their positive impact.