Fe and Zn metal nanocitrates as plant nutrients through soil application

Abstract Nanocitrates of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) are newer plant nutrients that can be employed in agriculture. Here, we examined the behaviour in soil and uptake of Fe and Zn nanocitrates by groundnut plants of Fe and Zn nanocitrates through soil application technique and compared it with the commercial counterpart. The combined nanocitrate compositions were also formulated by the physical mixing and characterized. The plant uptake of Fe and Zn was determined through atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). All the treated plants had shown good germination and higher vigor index compared to the control treatments. The highest Fe and Zn content in soil and uptake was found in nanocitrates was followed by commercial fertilizers. Among 34 synthesized citrates, BFC (1:1)- 6; BZC (1:3)- 6; BFZ (4:6)- 8; BFZ (5:5)- 2; BFZ (5:5)- 6; and BFZ (8:2)- 4 are promising trends to evaluate under field conditions with higher stability.