Enhancing Nutrient Use Efficiency Using Zeolites Minerals—A Review

Abstract

On tropical soils, liming and balanced nutrient supply are essential to ensure high crop yield and quality. An adequate agronomic nutrient management should be a balanced nutrition and fertilizers are the key factor on supplying nutrients. Urea is the most commonly used fertilizer-N source, despite potential losses by NH 3 volatilization. Thus, new fertilizers technologies are needed to support the increasing demand and avoid the low N use efficiency (NUE). The reduction of NH 3 -N volatilization can be achieved by the use of natural aluminosilicates with nitrogenous fertilizer materials. This review consolidates the current status on the subject and the experience with the application of aluminosilicates as a slow release plant-nutrient fertilizer. Volatilization losses of nitrogenous fertilizers on the soil surface could be reduced with addition of natural aluminosilicates. Clay minerals (zeolites) are widely used in many countries to reduce NH 3 volatilization from amide N fertilizers, such as urea, besides several organic forms of nitrogenous sources. The reduction in ammonia losses by volatilization and the increased efficiency of N utilization and slow release nature of urea-zeolite mixtures when urea is used together with aluminosilicates was demonstrated in laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments with different crops and environments. These results indicate that aluminosilicates minerals used with urea mineral fertilizer can enhance the efficiency of this source by improving the nitrogen use through the control of retention of ammonium ion, contributing to increasd N uptake and crop yields.

Application of Multi-Component Conditioner with Clinoptilolite and Ascophyllum nodosum Extract for Improving Soil Properties and Zea mays L. Growth and Yield

“…The zeolite in the tested conditioner also probably affected the increase of the macropores and the decrease of the micropores in the total porosity, which was confirmed by the data of Githinji et al [55], who observed an increase of the macro-porosity from 15 m 3 m −3 to 25 m 3 m −3 after adding clinoptilolite to the sandy soil. The significant increase of AWC, RAWC, and SAWC in the fields with the conditioner could also be associated with the presence of zeolite, which was confirmed by the study of de Campos Bernardi et al [47] carried out on Entisols in which the addition of the zeolites increased the AWC by about 10-67% and RAWC by about 15-111%, depending on the dose. Such high values of AWC and RAWC in this study were possible because their values in the studied Entisols were low and the zeolite doses were high (even up to 100 g kg −1 ).…”

“…It is commonly known that zeolites are one of the most efficient cationic exchangers. In fact, clinoptilolite, which is the most abundant zeolite in nature [47], is often used as a source of potassium and ions and can control the release of K from fertilizers for their optimum use by plants [48]. Their cationic exchange capacity is two to three times greater than other types of minerals that are found in soils.…”

Formulasi dan Pola Kelarutan N Pupuk Urea-Zeolit Lepas Lambat

“…Perubahan ukuran butir dalam bentuk submikron diharapkan dapat meningkatkan efektivitas dan efisiensi pemupukan dan mengurangi dosis pupuk. Zeolit sebagai mineral aluminosilikat dapat meningkatkan efisiensi penggunaan nitrogen, dan berkontribusi pada peningkatan serapan N melalui kontrol retensi ion amonium (Bernardi et al 2016). Bahan pembawa pupuk nitrogen adalah Zeolit alam dengan pertimbangan memiliki struktur mikroporos, ketersediaan melimpah, harga murah, dan dapat dicampurkan dengan baik dengan komponen pupuk.…”

Dampak pemupukan N dan zeolite pada pertumbuhan serta hasil tanaman sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) Var. SUPER 1

“…Pemberian Zeolit yang dicampur dengan pupuk N seperti urea atau ammonium sulfat dapat meningkatkan efisiensi melalui pengurangan kehilangan NO 3 karena pencucian dan perkolasi, peningkatan ketersediaan ammonium terutama pada tanah dengan kandungan liat rendah (relatif kurang subur) melalui penekanan proses nitrikasi dan volatilisasi NH 4 , peningkatan penyerapan N oleh tanaman dan, pengurangan keracunan pada zona perakaran karena ammonia dan nitrat yang berlebihan akan dipertukarkan oleh zeolit dan dilepaskan secara lambat sehingga berperan sebagai slow realease fertilizer. Sedangkan mineral zeolitnya sendiri berperan sebagai penyangga (buffer) ammonium yang berasal dari penguraian urea (Bernardi et al, 2016;Kavoosi, 2007 Pemupukan N dan K dilakukan secara bertahap. Tahap pertama diberikan ketika tanaman berumur 10 hari setelah tanam sebanyak 1/3 bagian dosis, dan sisanya (2/3 bagian) diaplikasikan ketika tanaman telah berumur 28 hari setelah tanam.…”

“…Sehubungan dengan hal tersebut, maka untuk tanah yang tanpa pemberian zeolit, kehilangan ammonium maupun nitrat akibat pencucian maupun volatilisasi cukup tinggi sehingga pupuk N yang diaplikasikan menjadi kurang pemanfaatannya dan akhirnya menjadi kurang efisien. Hal ini sejalan dengan pendapat Bernardi et al (2016) dan Kavoosi (2007), bahwa dengan penambahan aluminosilikat akan dapat mengurangi kehilangan N akibat pencucian maupun volatilisasi, dan akan dapat bertindak sebagai nutrisi lambat rilis (Slow release fertilizer) bagi tanaman.…”