High-performance nitrogen-polymer fertilizer: Synthesis, characterization, and application in sustainable agriculture

In agriculture, nitrogen (N) plays a crucial role, and its application invites significant environmental challenges with the pressing need to increase the efficiency of N fertilization in the context of improving the efficiency, productivity, economic, and environmental aspects of the crop production system, the present research aimed at developing enhanced N fertilizers to limit the frequency of application of N to the soil ecosystem while achieving high yields of good quality. In this perspective, synthesized various grades of ureapolyacrylamide (UPAM) as a slow-release N-fertilizer and studied its application potential for two and three-split applications on yield and yield attributes and N-use efficiency (N-UE) on rice and maize which are N- exhaustive crops. Results demonstrated that UPAM-2 significantly enhanced both economic and biological yield and N-UE. In maize (61.28 qha- 1), two split applications of UPAM-2 were the most effective, while three split applications optimized results in rice (59.64 qha- 1). Results from N-UE, the highest agronomic use efficiency (AGRN; 26.55 & 23.75 kgkg- 1), apparent N recovery (ANRN; 64.51 & 54.79 %), and partial factor productivity (PFPN; 51.06 & 40.63 kgkg- 1) were found in two and three split applications of UPAM-2 in maize and rice crops. Results from economic analysis of highest net returns (98936 & 99,990 Indian Rupee ha- 1) and benefit:cost ratio (1.68 & 1.60) were also found in two and three split applications of UPAM-2 grade treated plots in both crops. Understanding these outcomes involves various contributors working at different scales under diverse agroecological conditions.