A preliminary data on melon root affected by developed nano fertilizer

In order to increase crop production, fertilizer has been used to deliver nutrients efficiently to the plant. Reports indicate 30-50% of agriculture product is a result of fertilizer usage either organic or chemical (Liu and Zhao, 2013Xiaoyu et al., 2013). Some of the fertilizers used are not absorbed by the plant which can cause leaching that leads to environmental problems such as eutrophication phenomena (Liu and Zhao, 2013). A study on development of nano fertilizer was done in order to synchronize the release of fertilizer-N and -P with their uptake by crops, preventing undesirable nutrient losses to soil, water and air via direct internalization by crops and avoiding the interaction of nutrients with soil, microorganisms, water and air (Naderi, 2013). The degree of nutrient mobility and the availability of nutrients to a crop planted within the soil are dependent on a variety of factors. These factors also influence the productivity of applied fertilizer such as soil moisture content, chemical activity of soil components, nutrients balance of applied fertilizer and responsiveness of particular crop to fertilizer (Gellings and Parmenter, 2004). The nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK), which are required in large amounts for plants, are not adequately available in natural soils to support the sustained growth of plants. Therefore, these macronutrients (NPK) are needed to be applied externally through fertilizers. A nano strategy, involving a smart carrier fertilizer based on modification of fertilizer using hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles was studied. The HA (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) nanoparticles are rated as one of the prominent candidates in agricultural applications, which can provide phosphorus nutrient. In this study, melon was chosen because this plant has become one of the main premium fruit plantations in Malaysia which contributes to major income for exportation. The root branching of melon using our newly developed nano fertilizer was determined. (Copied from article)