Nano Fertilizer in Modern Agriculture: A Sustainable Approach for Enhanced Crop Productivity and Soil Health in Ethiopia: Review

Abstract

Ethiopian agriculture is challenged by low soil fertility, erratic rainfall, and limited nutrient use efficiency of conventional fertilizers. A more innovative fertilization strategy is needed to enhance productivity while remaining environmentally sustainable. This article reviews recent advancements in nano fertilizers (NFs) and highlights their potential benefits for Ethiopian smallholder and commercial farming systems. Nano fertilizers can significantly contribute to sustainable farming in both field and greenhouse environments by improving nutrient use efficiency (NUE), particularly for staple crops like teff, maize, wheat, sorghum, and pulses. Unlike conventional synthetic fertilizers, which typically release nutrients rapidly within 4–10 days, NFs can provide a slow and steady nutrient supply over 40–50 days, either alone or in combination with organic amendments or inorganic inputs. In addition to enhancing nutrient availability, NFs strengthen crop tolerance to drought, heat, and soil stressors common across Ethiopian agro ecologies. Their precise nutrient delivery minimizes environmental losses, enhances crop growth, and reduces the ecological footprint of agricultural inputs. Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) present opportunities to replace or reduce conventional fertilizers and pesticides, thereby decreasing soil and water contamination. Controlled release or slow-release nano nitrogen fertilizers, in particular, have shown promising results in improving yields while reducing agro?environmental constraints in Ethiopian contexts. Nano fertilizers - whether applied to the soil or foliage - represent one of the most promising engineered materials for future Ethiopian agriculture. This article highlights the potential of nano-enabled fertilizers (n NFs) as an innovative approach to improving NUE and reducing nutrient losses, thereby supporting sustainable agricultural intensification. It examines synthesis, mode of action, and various types of nano fertilizers, including those formulated with nanoparticles of essential macro- and micronutrients (such as N, P, K, Fe, and Mn). In these formulations, nutrients are either individually bonded or combined with nano-dimensional carriers to ensure regulated and efficient delivery to the plant rhizosphere.