Synergistic Approaches of Nanofertilizers and Soil Amendments on the Productivity of Rice and Some Soil Parameters to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Bangladesh: A Review
Aug 2026· Agricultural Science Digest - A Research Journal· 0 citations· 72 references
Abstract
Rice-based agroecosystems in Bangladesh face mounting challenges from nutrient imbalance, declining soil organic matter, climate-related stress and inefficient fertilizer management. While intensive fertilizer use has raised productivity, it has also reduced nutrient use efficiency and degraded soil quality. Nanofertilizers and organic soil amendments have emerged as complementary strategies to improve nutrient management and soil health in rice systems. This review synthesizes 85 peer-reviewed field, pot and laboratory studies (2005-2025) from Bangladesh and comparable South Asian agroecosystems, evaluating the individual and combined effects of nanofertilizers and soil amendments (biochar, compost, green manure, lime) on rice productivity, soil properties, nutrient dynamics and environmental outcomes. Nanofertilizers improve nutrient use efficiency through controlled release, while amendments enhance soil organic carbon, microbial activity and nutrient retention. Combined application produces synergistic gains, with yield improvements of approximately 25-40% reported under specific experimental conditions. These integrated strategies reduce nutrient losses, strengthen soil function and support more efficient, climate-resilient rice production aligned with SDGs 2, 6, 13 and 15. Most available evidence, however, derives from short-term field and pot trials; long-term, multi-location studies are needed to evaluate nanoparticle fate, environmental safety, economic feasibility and farmer adoption under diverse rice-growing conditions before large-scale deployment.
Vermicompost is increasingly recognized as a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers, offering a wide range of agronomic and ecological benefits. This review synthesizes current knowledge on vermicompost’s role in enhancing soil fertility, improving crop yield and quality, suppressing plant diseases and pests, and contributing to organic waste recycling. Specifically, vermicompost improves soil structure, nutrient availability, and microbial activity, while acting as a biofertilizer and natural pest regulator through mechanisms such as induced systemic resistance and microbial antagonism. Field studies across various crops-including garlic, tomato, green gram, and maize demonstrate significant improvements in yield and nutritional content. Additionally, research conducted in Ethiopia highlights the potential of locally sourced vermicompost formulations and their integration with inorganic fertilizers for sustainable crop production. Overall, these findings affirm vermicompost’s value in organic agriculture and its contribution to soil health, environmental protection, and long-term ecosystem balance.
Mosissa Fekadu· Greener Journal of Soil Scie...· 0 citations
The choice between organic and inorganic amendment strategies for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production has profound implications for soil health, crop productivity, fruit quality, environmental sustainability, and smallholder livelihoods in tropical agro-ecological regions. This review provides a systematic comparative analysis of organic amendmentssuch as compost, vermicompost, biochar, green manures, microbial inoculants, and inorganic fertilizers (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compounds, micronutrient fertilizers) across dimensions of yield response, soil physicochemical improvement, economic feasibility, and long-term soil health trajectories. Evidence from peer-reviewed field studies (2018–2025) consistently demonstrates that organic amendments match or exceed inorganic fertilizer yield outcomes over multi-season timeframes while generating substantial co-benefits for soil organic carbon, microbial diversity, water retention, and disease suppression that mineral fertilizers do not provide. Integrated strategies combining organic and reduced-rate inorganic inputs achieve the greatest short-term yields while progressively improving soil health. Nigerian evidence on organic pest management with neem extract and Path-Away® organic formulations demonstrates that organic principles extend beyond soil fertility management to encompass full agronomic systems in which synthetic chemical inputs are minimized. This review proposes criteria for evidence-based selection between organic, inorganic, and integrated amendment strategies in tropical tomato systems.
Adesakin, O. R., Adeboye, S. E., B. A. Gonimi et al.· RA Journal Of Applied Resear...· 0 citations
Biochar, a carbon-rich solid produced through oxygen-limited pyrolysis of biomass, is increasingly considered a soil amendment for sustainable soil fertility management. Indian agriculture faces continuing pressure from soil degradation, declining soil organic carbon, nutrient depletion, crop-residue burning and climate variability, all of which constrain productivity and resource-use efficiency. This review synthesises literature and field-based evidence relevant to the use of biochar in Indian soil-crop systems. It discusses biochar production through slow, fast and flash pyrolysis using crop residues, woody biomass, and livestock or poultry manure at 300–700 °C, and relates these production conditions to key properties, including porosity, specific surface area, alkaline pH, fixed carbon content and nutrient composition. The review also examines the principal mechanisms through which biochar improves soil fertility, including modification of bulk density, water-holding capacity, aggregate stability, cation exchange capacity, soil reaction, nutrient retention and microbial activity. Evidence reviewed here indicates that biochar can reduce nutrient leaching, influence nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics, contribute to soil carbon sequestration, and mitigate selected greenhouse gas emissions, although responses depend on feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, soil type and crop requirement. Field observations from India suggest that applications within the range of 5–20 t ha⁻¹ can improve the productivity of rice, wheat, maize, legumes, oilseeds, plantation crops and vegetables, with stronger responses generally reported in acidic, sandy and degraded soils. The review further identifies practical constraints to adoption, including production cost, inconsistent product quality, limited standardisation, insufficient extension support and variable soil-crop compatibility. Integrating biochar with integrated nutrient management and decentralised residue management may support more sustainable soil fertility strategies in India.
Manoj Kumar, A. Pandey, Ashutosh Singh et al.· International Journal of Env...· 0 citations
Soil salinization has become a major constraint on sustainable agricultural development and the improvement of crop productivity. However, the effects of biochar combined with different organic amendments on the microbial ecology of saline–alkaline soils and crop performance remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluated the effects of different amendment strategies, including sole applications of fulvic acid (FA), organic fertilizer (OF), and biochar (BC), as well as their combinations. Soil bacterial community composition, richness, and diversity, oat agronomic traits, hay yield, and forage quality indicators were assessed. Spearman correlation analysis and the Mantel test were employed to examine the relationships among soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and crop performance. Combined applications exerted stronger effects on modulating soil bacterial community composition than sole applications, while FA, BC, or their combinations significantly enhanced bacterial richness and diversity. Crop responses exhibited distinct functional differentiation among combined treatments. The biochar combined with fulvic acid (BC + FA) treatment showed the greatest potential for promoting oat growth and increasing yield, with plant height and stem diameter reaching 99.20 cm and 3.99 mm, respectively, and hay yield increasing by 48.5% compared with the control treatment. In contrast, the biochar combined with organic fertilizer (BC + OF) treatment significantly increased crude protein content (CP) and reduced acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents, indicating improved forage quality. Although the crude fat content was numerically higher under BC + OF, no significant differences were observed among treatments. Correlation analyses further revealed that changes in soil physicochemical properties were associated with variations in several dominant bacterial genera, which were correlated with oat agronomic traits and forage quality indicators. Overall, the combined application of biochar with fulvic acid or organic fertilizer improved saline-alkaline soil microbial characteristics and showed potential for enhancing forage oat yield and quality, with BC + FA primarily improving yield production and BC + OF mainly enhancing forage quality.
Teng Wang, Zhen Li, Shilan Shao et al.· Land· 0 citations
The increasing need to ensure global food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices has necessitated the development of alternative approaches to the environmental problems caused by the use of traditional mineral fertilizers. This review article, prepared within this context, comprehensively examines the development of biochar-coated controlled-release fertilizers (BCSRFs) over the last decade (2015–2025). The study evaluates in detail the production techniques of BCSRFs, the properties of coating materials, nutrient release mechanisms, and the impacts of these systems on agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, environmental gains such as increased nutrient use efficiency (NUE), reduced greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching, as well as economic feasibility and scalability are discussed. With the potential to improve soil fertility and limit environmental losses, BCSRFs stand out as an innovative and promising solution for modern agricultural systems. This review aims to synthesize the existing literature and provide a scientific framework for future research and applications.
Hasine Elçi· Selcuk journal of agricultur...· 0 citations
Enhanced soil salinity is a major constraint to rice production in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Salinity stress impairs nutrient uptake and induces ionic toxicity and osmotic stress, while excessive use of chemical fertilizers degrades soil health and causes environmental pollution. A novel salt-tolerant endophytic fungus, Aspergillus welwitschiae Ocstreb1, isolated from the halophytic wild rice Oryza coarctata, exhibited multiple plant growth–promoting traits under both non-saline and 900 mM salt-stress conditions in vitro. These findings suggest that Ocstreb1-based biofertilizer could serve as an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to enhance rice productivity under saline conditions. In this experiment, the biofertilizer was prepared using fungal spores produced on wheat bran and subsequently mixed with talcum powder as a carrier. Field trials were conducted following a randomized complete block design (RCBD), incorporating different levels of chemical fertilizer application (0%, 80%, and 100% of the BRRI-recommended NPKSZn rates) in both biofertilizer-treated and untreated plants. Compared with the 100% chemical fertilizer treatment, the combined application of biofertilizer and 80% chemical fertilizer resulted in a comparable yield in Barguna and increased yield of 196.6 kg ha⁻¹ in Satkhira. Profitability analysis showed that this treatment provided an additional economic benefit of USD 48–68 ha⁻¹ over the 100% chemical fertilizer treatment. Moreover, fumonisin B1 levels in grains from biofertilizer-treated plants were negligible. In conclusion, commercial production of this biofertilizer will pave the way for enhancing rice yield with less use of chemical fertilizer while promoting sustainable agricultural practice particularly in areas affected by salinity stress.
Amit Chowdhury, J. Bhattacharya, Md. Iyasir Arafat et al.· Discover Agriculture· 0 citations
