Quantification and Assessment of Slow-Release Properties of Urea in Nano Fertilizer Applications: A Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopic Approach

This study addresses the challenges associated with urea quantification in fertilizer applications, where over 70% of applied urea is lost due to leaching and degradation, leading to low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in plants. Traditional methods such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, Kjeldahl analysis, and Dumas combustion are hindered by complex and time-intensive procedures. This research explores the application of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as a rapid and accurate alternative for detecting urea in agricultural effluents, providing a more efficient approach to assess the efficacy of slow-release or smart fertilizers.