IN SITU MONITORING OF A CONTROLLED RELEASE OF FERTILIZERS IN LETTUCE CROP

ABSTRACT: Agriculture has sought ways to increase food production to meet global demands, intensifying dependence on natural resources. An alternative for intensive production has relied on the use of “smart” fertilizers that release nutrients in a controlled manner. Biodegradable polymers containing fertilizers has presented economic and environmental advantages when applied to the soil, as they release water and nutrients gradually to the environment without leaving residues. The objective of this study was to monitor the behavior of chitosan-clay hybrid microspheres, used as potassium n...