Oxidation-Resistant Silicon Nanosystem for Intelligent Controlled Ferrous Foliar Delivery to Crops

Since ferrous (Fe(II)) is the main form of plant absorption,traditionalferrous foliar fertilizers (TFFF) are widely used in modern agriculture.However, TFFF suffer from the shortcomings of weak antioxidant capacity(AC), low foliar adhesion efficiency (FAE), poor fertilizer utilizationefficiency (FUE), and noncontrollable slow-release behavior. To overcomethese limitations, an oxidation-resistant silicon nanosystem for intelligentcontrolled ferrous foliar delivery to crops was first developed byusing environmentally friendly micro/nano structured hollow siliconas carrier, and combining with vitamin C (in situ antioxidant) to synthesize an oxidation-resistant ferrous foliarfertilizer (ORFFF) for ameliorating Fe-deficiency in crops and increasingcrop yield. Compared with TFFF, the ORFFF has excellent ferrous AC(only 11.5% of Fe(II) was oxidized in ORFFF within 72 h), ultrahighFAE (& SIM;84% of adhesion percentage (%) after two-times simulatedrain rinsing), nutrient slow-release ability (720 h gradually release100.6 mg & BULL;g(-1)), pH-controlled release ability(pH 3-8), and verified high biological safety (100% survivalrate for zebrafish and earthworm). The pot experiments showed thatORFFF can correct the Fe-deficiency symptoms of tomato seedlings promptlycompared with TFFF, and the FUE of ORFFF is 4.2 times that of TFFF.The specific pH responsiveness of ORFFF can control the slow-releaserate of Fe(II) to satisfy the needs of Fe in varying crops and differentgrowing periods of crops. This work provides a feasible way to achievegreen and safe Fe supplementation for crops, reduce Fe fertilizerwaste, avoid soil pollution caused by Fe fertilizer abuse, and promotethe sustainable development of modern nanoagriculture.

Automated summary

An oxidation-resistant silicon nanosystem combined with vitamin C was developed as an intelligent controlled ferrous foliar fertilizer to overcome the limitations of traditional ferrous foliar fertilizers. This new fertilizer showed excellent antioxidant capacity, foliar adhesion efficiency, fertilizer utilization efficiency, slow-release behavior, and biocompatibility. It effectively corrected iron deficiency in crops and increased crop yield. This research provides a feasible way to achieve green and safe iron supplementation for crops, reduce fertilizer waste, avoid soil pollution, and promote sustainable development in modern nanoagriculture.