Sushil Kumar Yadav, Ambreesh Singh Yadav, Satish Yadav and Bhanu Singh
Abstract
The widespread use of traditional urea as a nitrogenous fertilizer has been instrumental in the global growth of agricultural output. However, it also provoked serious environmental concerns, including greenhouse gas emissions, nitrate leaching and soil degradation. Nano-urea, another novel innovation from nanotechnology may help alleviate these ecological problems, while simultaneously improving nitrogen use efficiency in severe environmental and crop yields. Important findings emphasize the increased effectiveness of nano-urea in mitigating nitrogen losses through volatilization, leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, hence reducing environmental pollution. The specialised delivery and controlled release strategies of nano-urea result in improved nitrogen absorption by plants while contributing toward microbial wellbeing in the soil and maintaining long-term soil fertility. Moreover, nano-urea has excellent potential to reduce groundwater pollution and eutrophication caused by regular fertilizers. However, the scalability of production cost, regulatory frameworks and the need for long-term environmental impact assessments of all challenges of nano-urea. This review highlights the need for policy interventions, education of farmers and research that continues to overcome these barriers to make nano-urea a sustainable alternative in nitrogen management under full potential. The results highlight that nano-urea is a significant development in sustainable agriculture by decreasing the environmental footprint of nitrogen-based fertilizers while zaala agronomic performance is maintained or bettered. Future efforts should focus on optimizing formulations, scaling production and establishing comprehensive monitoring systems to ensure environmental safety and economic feasibility.