Abstract
In this study, biodegradable sodium alginate–lignin (SA-L) blend formulations at different SA/L ratios were developed as low-cost coating material for highly efficient slow-release di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer. The structural and chemical properties of different coating formulations were investigated via FTIR spectroscopy, and the slow-release capability of coated fertilizers was determined in water, as well as in soil. Moreover, their impact on the water-holding and retention capacities of soil was also examined. Experimental results indicated that the application of developed coatings corrected the fertilizer surface irregularities by forming a uniform and compact polymeric film. Further, they significantly enhanced its mechanical properties and extended the maximum nutrients availability toward longer periods. It was also found that increasing the lignin content favorably affected the slow-release behavior, exceeding one month before the nutrients complete release in soil, instead of only four days obtained using uncoated DAP. Findings from this work indicated that SA-L blend coating material could interestingly serve in producing new eco-friendly slow-release DAP fertilizer with improved physical quality and nutrients use efficiency.
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This work was financially supported by the “Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP S.A.)” in Morocco, under a funded research project (Specific Agreement OCP/UM6P #ASN°34).
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El Bouchtaoui, FZ., Ablouh, EH., Kassem, I. et al. Slow-release fertilizers based on lignin–sodium alginate biopolymeric blend for sustained N–P nutrients release. J Coat Technol Res 19, 1551–1565 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11998-022-00629-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11998-022-00629-7