Encapsulation of Urea Into Bio‐Based Adhesive to Improve Its Degradation Rate in Soil and Studying Its Release Mechanism

ABSTRACT Urea is the most widely used fertilizer, supplying 46% nitrogen, the most essential nutrient for plant growth. However, its nitrogen delivery system is exposed to high losses associated with high ammonia volatilization, leaching, and surface runoff. This research formulated a new type of slow‐release urea fertilizer by encapsulating urea powder in a biodegradable adhesive. The formulation was evaluated for its degradation rate in soil, nitrogen release profile, and associated release kinetics. After an hour of incubation in distilled water, LRU‐e‐LAO‐g‐GA exhibited a nitrogen release rate of only 2.9%, which is very small compared to 98% for commercial urea. The LRU‐e‐LAO‐g‐GA releases 76.14% N within 25 h of incubation in water, which was relatively less than a slow‐release coated fertilizer. The degradation rate test in the soil results indicates that all U‐e‐LAO‐g‐GAs were entirely degraded in the soil. The amount of urea encapsulated in the LAO‐g‐GA positively affects its N release and degradation rate in soil. As its urea loading concentration increases from 70% to 80%, its degradation rate rises from 83.8% to 91.8%. The study results suggest that the newly developed slow‐release urea fertilizer has a promising future for the sustainable growth of modern agriculture.