In the pursuit of efficient and environmentally friendly modern agricultural development, controlled release fertilizers are gradually becoming a new favorite in the fertilizer market due to their unique advantages. This type of fertilizer not only improves the utilization rate of fertilizer, reduces environmental pollution, but also promotes the healthy growth of crops, injecting new vitality into the sustainable development of agriculture.
Controlled release fertilizer, also known as controlled release fertilizer, is an advanced form of slow-release fertilizer. It controls the release rate of nutrients in fertilizers through coating technology, encapsulation, and the addition of inhibitors, so that the nutrient release matches the fertilizer demand rate of the crop growth cycle, thereby achieving long-term and efficient goals. Controlled release fertilizer is the main direction of modern fertilizer development, especially suitable for mechanized production and meeting the demand for simultaneous planting of seeds and fertilizers.
The micropores on the membrane of controlled-release fertilizers are usually only a few hundred nanometers, and liquid water cannot directly pass through and can only enter the membrane in the form of water molecules. Therefore, apart from water molecules being able to freely enter and exit the membrane, fertilizer particles are completely isolated from the outside. The release speed of nutrients is only related to the movement speed of water molecules and the pores of membrane micropores, while the movement speed of water molecules depends on temperature. This makes the nutrient release curve of controlled release fertilizer consistent with the plant demand curve, achieving on-demand supply.
Compared with traditional fertilizers, controlled-release fertilizers have significant advantages. Firstly, its fertilizer efficiency is high. Conventional fertilizers suffer from severe nutrient loss, with less than 30% truly utilized by crops. However, controlled release fertilizers control nutrient release through encapsulation, avoiding nutrient loss and achieving a fertilizer efficiency of over 70%. Near root use can even reach over 80%. Secondly, the yield increase effect of controlled release fertilizer is significant. By controlling nutrient release, crop nutrient supply is stable and regular, avoiding crop fertilization and overgrowth, thus achieving significant yield increase.
In addition, controlled-release fertilizers also have multiple advantages such as time-saving and labor-saving, sterilization and pest control, soil improvement, and supplementing sulfur elements in crops. The use of controlled-release fertilizers can greatly reduce the frequency of fertilization and save manpower and resources. At the same time, the coating material of the controlled release fertilizer uses polysulfide compounds, which have the effect of sterilization and insect repellent, reducing the use of pesticides. After the release of nutrients, the empty shell can also store water and retain moisture, play a role in ventilation and fertilizer retention, improve soil structure, and make the soil that has been compacted for a long time become loose. Then, after the release of controlled release fertilizer, the empty shell can be directly involved in nutrient release and absorbed by crops, providing necessary sulfur elements for crops.
