MINI REVIEW article
Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Toxicology, Pollution and the Environment
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2025.1691733
This article is part of the Research TopicNanotechnology-enabled Agriculture and its Environmental ImpactView all 4 articles
Beyond the Hype: Unpacking the Hidden Challenges of Nanofertilizers
Provisionally accepted
- 1South African Vaccination and Immunisation Centre, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- 2Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University School of Science and Technology, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa
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The application of nanotechnology in agriculture presents innovative solutions to improve crop production and food security, thus promoting sustainable practice. Nanofertilizers (NFs) derived from metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) significantly improve soil quality by increasing the diversity and abundance of soil microbial communities, essential for nutrient cycling and soil health. They enhance nutrient uptake, stress resistance, and plant defense mechanisms leading to improved yield. The physical and chemical synthesis of NFs has a negative effect on the environment and human health due to the use of hazardous and toxic chemicals; thus, the green synthesis method is preferred as it is eco-friendly and cost effective. This work examines the evolving role of NFs in sustainable agricultural systems, exploring technological innovations, advantages, possible toxicity and limitations of NFs. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of NFs' potential to promote soil health, plant productivity and environmental sustainability, while presenting recommendations for future research trajectories.
Keywords: Nanotechnology, plant productivity, Soil health, sustainability, Toxicity
Received: 24 Aug 2025; Accepted: 15 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Buthelezi, Manganyi and Lebepe. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nana Millicent Duduzile Buthelezi, duduzile.buthelezi@smu.ac.za
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.