Assessment of Polymer-Coated Fertilizers on Maize Quality and Functionality Through Life Cycle Analysis

Assessment of Polymer-Coated Fertilizers on Maize Quality through Life Cycle Analysis

Abstract

The growing need to develop and use sustainable agricultural practices has increased the importance of the development and usage of controlled-release fertilizers, so-called polymer-coated fertilizers. This paper examines the effect of polymer coated fertilizer on yield quality, functional properties, and maize growth in addition to assessing its life cycle performance on the environment. An experiment was carried out in the field of uncoated conventional fertilizer and some polymer coated fertilizers treatments. The principal quality factors of maize harvested, such as protein content, state of moisture, starch profile, and the wholeness of the kernels were identified and statistically analyzed. Their functional parameters including water absorption index, gelatinization behavior and thermal stability were also ascertained to know whether there is a possibility of using the maize in the food processing and production industries. The life cycle analysis took into account the whole production process the pathway starting with fertilizers to end with the product after the harvest, with respect to greenhouse gases emission, consumption of energy, water footprint, and ecotoxicity. The findings further indicated that nutrient use efficiency of polymer-coated fertilizer significantly enhanced and held the nutrient loss by means of leaching, which enhanced the quality of maize and its useful properties. Also, the LCA indicated that even though the initial energy is used in excess in production of polymer-coated fertilizers owing to coating methods, the total environmental cost becomes lower owing to less frequent application and better crop yield. The combined evaluation gives an idea about the agronomic and environmental benefit of polymer-coated fertilizer use in maize production. The results confirm the opportunity of such fertilizers to increase food quality and reduce the ecological consequences supporting a more sustainable and effective agriculture system.