Boosting nitrogen fertilization by a slow releasing nitrate-intercalated biocompatible layered double hydroxide–hydrogel composite loaded with Azospirillum brasilense

Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers leads to soil environmental disbalance and therefore, preparation and application of environment-friendly slow-release multifunctional fertilizers are of paramount importance for sustainable crop production in the present scenario. In this study, we propose a slow-release multifunctional composite nitrogen (N) fertilizer, which possesses the ability to supply plant accessible N in the form of ammonium (NH(4)(+)) and nitrate (NO(3)(−)) to improve nitrate assimilation coupled with zinc (Zn, a major micronutrient for plants in the soil) after its degradation. For this purpose, NO(3)(−)-intercalated zinc–aluminum (Zn–Al) layered double hydroxide (LDH) was synthesized using a co-precipitation protocol. The prepared LDH was added as 25.45% of total polymer weight to a sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/hydroxyethyl cellulose citric acid (NaCMC/HEC-CA) biodegradable hydrogel. A. brasilense, commonly used nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soils, was added to the LDH–hydrogel composite along with LDH alone to augment the availability of NH(4)(+) and NO(3)(−). Adjusting the pH under acidic (pH 5.25) and neutral (pH 7) conditions, the release pattern of NO(3)(−) from LDH and the composite was monitored for 30 days at normal temperature. The pH was selected based on the soil analysis data of North East India. The LDH-composite released 90% (w/w) and 85.45% (w/w) of intercalated NO(3)(−) at pH 5.25 and 7.00 respectively in 30 days. However, 100% (w/w) and 87% (w/w) of intercalated NO(3)(−) at pH 5.25 and 7.00 respectively were released in 30 days when only LDH was applied, which indicated the lower performance of LDH alone in comparison to the LDH-composite for the nitrate holding pattern. The pH of the bacteria-loaded system was observed to be acidic (pH = 5–6) during the study of nitrate assimilation and Zn(2+) release. A. brasilense improved nitrate assimilation and increased the NH(4)(+) ion concentration in the studied system. A significant increase in Zn(2+) release was observed from day 5 in the presence of A. brasilense in the LDH-composite compared with that in the absence of A. brasilense. In conclusion, the prepared LDH–hydrogel–A. brasilense composite fertilizer system increases the availability of plant accessible N form (both NO(3)(−) and NH(4)(+)) and can potentially improve soil fertility with the addition of Zn and bacteria to the soil in the extended course.