ABSTRACT
Fertilizers have been used for the past many years in agriculture for the benefit of farmers. Traditional fertilizers are expensive as well as harmful to human beings and the environment. The global population is growing at an alarming rate, which has increased the demand for food continuously and is predictable to rise by 70% up to 2050. The chapter summarizes the concerns regarding the use of conventional fertilizers and the need for nanofertilizers along with discussions on the types, production, and advantages and disadvantages of nanofertilizers. Nanofertilizers are made from conventional fertilizers, bulk materials for fertilizers, or extracted from different plant or plant parts by encapsulating/coating them with nanomaterials for controlled and slow release of nutrients for the development of soil fertility, productivity, and quality of agricultural products. Nanomaterials for nanofertilizers can be prepared by different approaches: physical (top-down), chemical (bottom-up), and biological (biosynthetic) approaches.
