Development Of Flaxseed Hydrogel For Npk Encapsulation Targeting Efficient Nutrient Delivery To Plants

Abstract

Agriculture Plays A Crucial Role In Sustaining Human Life, And The Increasing Demand For Food Production Necessitates The Use Of Fertilizers. However, Chemical Fertilizers Pose Significant Environmental Risks, Including Nutrient Runoff, Soil Degradation, And Water Pollution. Moreover, The Current Methods Of Fertilizer Application Often Result In A Significant Portion Of The Nutrients Being Lost Or Underutilized, Leading To Decreased Agricultural Efficiency. This Study Was Able To Develop A Flaxseed Hydrogel For Npk Encapsulation. Flaxseed Mucilage Was Extracted From Flaxseed Using Hot Water Extraction Method. The Encapsulation Of Npk Solution Was Be Carried Out At Temperatures Of (40, 60, And 80???), Time Of (2, 3, And 4 Hr),And Npk Loading Of (0.5, 1, And 1.5 G).Citric Acid Was Used As A Cross linker. The Efficiency Of Encapsulation Was Optimized Using Rsm And 99.5% Encapsulation Efficiency Was Achieved At3.687hr, Temperature At 69.14??? And Npk Loading Of 1.17g. The Developed Fertilizer Was Characterized By Using Xrd, Ftir, Tga, And Sem. Swelling Capacity, Biodegradability And Also Pot Experiment Were Carried Out. The Developed Fertilizer Lasted 49 Days In Soil. And Its Water Retention Was Higher Than Untreated Soil. The Release Mechanism Was Found To Be Degradation As It Is Confirmed By Korsmeyer- Peppas Model. The Pot Experiment Revealed ThatA Barley Crop Can Last 21 Days Without Water If The Developed Fertilizer Is Added In The Soil. The Results Obtained From This Experiment Showed That The Developed Fertilizer Can Play Crucial Role In The Agricultural Sector.