A review of minimizing fertilizer losses through controlled-release technology, with a focus on urea and leaching prevention

Abstract

The increasing global population and the demand for food production have led to higher usage of fertilizers in the agricultural sector. This, in turn, has raised the cost of food production. Urea, commonly used in crop fertilization, is prone to losses through volatilization and leaching, and current methods reduce the efficiency of nitrogen use by plants, leading to limited crop yields and environmental pollution. A potential solution to this problem is the use of controlled release urea (CRU), achieved through various methods and materials. One such method is the physical conversion of urea granules with an appropriate coating material, which produces controlled-release coated urea (CRCU). The development of CRCU, a green technology, not only reduces nitrogen loss caused by volatilization and leaching, but also adjusts the rate of nitrogen release, providing nutrients to plants in a manner more aligned with their metabolic needs. This mini review discusses the physical coating of original urea granules, emphasizing the latest coating methods, release experiments, and mechanisms, and provides critical analysis and suggestions for future research.