Abstract
Conventional urea fertilizers are highly susceptible to nitrogen losses through volatilization and leaching, resulting in low nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) and increased environmental impacts. Although nano urea has emerged as a promising alternative, comparative studies on ultrasonication-engineered nano urea systems and their integration with conventional fertilization strategies remain limited. In this study, urea nanopowder (UNS) and urea nanofluid (UNF) were synthesized via ultrasonication-assisted processing using a urea–trisodium citrate precursor system, followed by physicochemical characterization and agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata). Ultrasonication at 30 kHz and 200 W successfully produced nanoscale particles with average diameters of 9.4 nm for UNS and 7.3 nm for UNF. FTIR and FESEM–EDX analyses confirmed ultrasonication-induced modifications in molecular interactions, surface morphology, elemental distribution, and particle stabilization behavior. Field evaluation showed no significant differences in vegetative growth parameters (p > 0.05), whereas yield-related traits were significantly improved (p < 0.05). The hybrid formulation consisting of 60% UNS and 40% conventional urea (P6) achieved the highest productivity of 26.97 t ha⁻¹ , representing a 9.2% increase compared with the conventional urea treatment alone (24.71 t ha⁻¹) and a 30.7% increase relative to the 100% UNS treatment (20.64 t ha⁻¹). Similarly, the UNF-based hybrid treatment produced yields of up to 25.73 t ha⁻¹ . Nano urea application also enhanced chlorophyll content, leaf thickness, and nitrogen uptake efficiency. Notably, standalone UNF exhibited the highest NUE (90.95%), indicating more efficient initial nitrogen synchronization, whereas UNS provided a more sustained nitrogen release that promoted biomass accumulation and yield formation. The improved agronomic performance was attributed to enhanced surface interactions, controlled nutrient release, and reduced nitrogen loss. Furthermore, the hybrid nano urea strategy enabled a 60% reduction in conventional urea application without compromising productivity, highlighting its potential as a sustainable fertilization approach for enhancing NUE and supporting environmentally responsible crop production.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Ultrasonication at 30 kHz and 200 W produced UNS particles with an average diameter of 9.4 nm.
- Treatment
- Ultrasonication at 30 kHz and 200 We3
- Outcome
- average diameterse3
- Value
- 9.4 nme3
- Qualifier
- for UNSe3
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e3“Ultrasonication at 30 kHz and 200 W successfully produced nanoscale particles with average diameters of 9.4 nm for UNS and 7.3 nm for UNF”
Claim · model-written summary
Ultrasonication at 30 kHz and 200 W produced UNF particles with an average diameter of 7.3 nm.
- Treatment
- Ultrasonication at 30 kHz and 200 We3
- Outcome
- average diameterse3
- Value
- 7.3 nme3
- Qualifier
- for UNFe3
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e3“Ultrasonication at 30 kHz and 200 W successfully produced nanoscale particles with average diameters of 9.4 nm for UNS and 7.3 nm for UNF”
Claim · model-written summary
FTIR and FESEM-EDX confirmed ultrasonication-induced modifications in molecular interactions, surface morphology and elemental distribution.
- Treatment
- ultrasonicatione4
- Outcome
- molecular interactions, surface morphology, elemental distributione4
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e4“FTIR and FESEM–EDX analyses confirmed ultrasonication-induced modifications in molecular interactions, surface morphology, elemental distribution, and particle stabilization behavior”
Claim · model-written summary
FTIR and FESEM-EDX confirmed ultrasonication-induced modifications in particle stabilization behavior.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e4“FTIR and FESEM–EDX analyses confirmed ultrasonication-induced modifications in molecular interactions, surface morphology, elemental distribution, and particle stabilization behavior”
Claim · model-written summary
Field evaluation of UNS and UNF showed no significant difference in vegetative growth parameters in sweet corn.
- Taxon
- sweet corne0
- Treatment
- urea nanopowder (UNS) and urea nanofluid (UNF)e2
- Outcome
- vegetative growth parameterse1
- Direction
- no significant differencese1
- Qualifier
- p > 0.05e1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e1“Field evaluation showed no significant differences in vegetative growth parameters (p > 0.05)”
e2“urea nanopowder (UNS) and urea nanofluid (UNF) were synthesized via ultrasonication-assisted processing”
Claim · model-written summary
Nano urea treatments significantly improved yield-related traits of sweet corn in the field.
- Taxon
- sweet corne0
- Treatment
- urea nanopowder (UNS) and urea nanofluid (UNF)e2
- Outcome
- yield-related traitse5
- Direction
- improvede5
- Qualifier
- p < 0.05e5
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e2“urea nanopowder (UNS) and urea nanofluid (UNF) were synthesized via ultrasonication-assisted processing”
e5“yield-related traits were significantly improved (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
The hybrid of 60% UNS and 40% conventional urea (P6) achieved the highest productivity, 26.97 t/ha, in sweet corn.
- Taxon
- sweet corne0
- Treatment
- hybrid formulation consisting of 60% UNS and 40% conventional urea (P6)e6
- Outcome
- productivitye6
- Direction
- higheste6
- Value
- 26.97 t ha⁻¹e6
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e6“The hybrid formulation consisting of 60% UNS and 40% conventional urea (P6) achieved the highest productivity of 26.97 t ha⁻¹”
Claim · model-written summary
The P6 hybrid (60% UNS and 40% conventional urea) raised productivity by 9.2% compared with conventional urea alone.
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e6“The hybrid formulation consisting of 60% UNS and 40% conventional urea (P6) achieved the highest productivity of 26.97 t ha⁻¹”
e7“representing a 9.2% increase compared with the conventional urea treatment alone (24.71 t ha⁻¹)”
Claim · model-written summary
The P6 hybrid raised productivity by 30.7% relative to the 100% UNS treatment.
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e6“The hybrid formulation consisting of 60% UNS and 40% conventional urea (P6) achieved the highest productivity of 26.97 t ha⁻¹”
e7“a 30.7% increase relative to the 100% UNS treatment (20.64 t ha⁻¹)”
Claim · model-written summary
The UNF-based hybrid treatment produced sweet corn yields of up to 25.73 t/ha.
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e1“Similarly, the UNF-based hybrid treatment produced yields of up to 25.73 t ha⁻¹”
Claim · model-written summary
Nano urea application enhanced chlorophyll content, leaf thickness and nitrogen uptake efficiency in sweet corn.
- Taxon
- sweet corne0
- Treatment
- Nano urea applicatione1
- Outcome
- chlorophyll content, leaf thickness, and nitrogen uptake efficiencye1
- Direction
- enhancede1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e1“Nano urea application also enhanced chlorophyll content, leaf thickness, and nitrogen uptake efficiency”
Claim · model-written summary
Standalone UNF had the highest nitrogen-use efficiency, 90.95%, in sweet corn.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e1“standalone UNF exhibited the highest NUE (90.95%)”
Claim · model-written summary
UNS, through a more sustained nitrogen release, promoted biomass accumulation and yield formation in sweet corn.
- Taxon
- sweet corne0
- Treatment
- UNSe1
- Outcome
- biomass accumulation and yield formatione1
- Direction
- promotede1
- Qualifier
- more sustained nitrogen releasee1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e1“UNS provided a more sustained nitrogen release that promoted biomass accumulation and yield formation”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attribute the improved agronomic performance of sweet corn to enhanced surface interactions, controlled nutrient release and reduced nitrogen loss.
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e1“The improved agronomic performance was attributed to enhanced surface interactions, controlled nutrient release, and reduced nitrogen loss”
Claim · model-written summary
The hybrid nano urea strategy allowed a 60% reduction in conventional urea without compromising sweet corn productivity.
Verbatim
e0“agronomic evaluation in sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata)”
e1“the hybrid nano urea strategy enabled a 60% reduction in conventional urea application without compromising productivity”
The same questions in other papers
Zea mays subsp. mays · yield · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
195 papers in the same direction as this paper · 85 in the opposite direction · 11 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- negative
288 papers more in this group
See all 292 papers →Zea mays subsp. mays · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
33 papers in the same direction as this paper · 60 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
90 papers more in this group
See all 94 papers →physical treatment · growth · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 6 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →nanoparticle · physiology: pigments · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
43 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- negative
46 papers more in this group
See all 50 papers →nitrogen · physiology: pigments · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
111 papers in the same direction as this paper · 13 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- no effect
122 papers more in this group
See all 126 papers →nanoparticle · growth · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
20 papers in the same direction as this paper · 161 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
178 papers more in this group
See all 182 papers →nitrogen · nutrient: efficiency · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
141 papers in the same direction as this paper · 42 in the opposite direction · 10 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- no effect
190 papers more in this group
See all 194 papers →nanoparticle · yield · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
214 papers in the same direction as this paper · 11 in the opposite direction · 7 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- positive
- positive
229 papers more in this group
See all 233 papers →8 of 11 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.