Nano Fertilisers Raise Rosemary Yield Cut Costs
Traditional fertilisers often get lost in the soil before absorption
Hyderabad: Farmers cultivating rosemary may soon require far less chemical fertiliser to produce stronger plants and superior-quality oil, thanks to a Hyderabad-led study that explored nanosized nutrient delivery through foliar spraying. Researchers found that when conventional fertilisers are milled into ultrafine particles, plants absorb them more efficiently, reducing the required quantity to just a fraction of the standard dose.
The research was conducted at the University of Hyderabad under a department of biotechnology (DBT)-supported project led by Prof. Appa Rao Podile of the department of plant sciences and Prof. V.V.S.S. Srikanth of the school of engineering sciences and technology. Their teams transformed commercial fertilisers containing nitrogen, zinc, iron, manganese and copper into nanosized particles and applied them on rosemary leaves at only 20–30 per cent of the usual soil-dose levels.
“The milling process makes nutrients more accessible to the plant,” one of the professors explained. “Traditional fertilisers often get lost in the soil before absorption. When converted into nanosized form and sprayed on leaves, the plant absorbs them directly—so even a small dose delivers results.”
Prof. Podile said the improvement in plant quality was visible. “We observed thicker roots, stronger shoots, higher biomass, and improved levels of 1,8-cineole, the compound that determines rosemary oil quality. Farmers can achieve better yield with significantly less chemical input,” he said.
He added that the benefits go beyond productivity. “Lower fertiliser use also means reduced runoff into soil and water, which is critical for farmers facing soil degradation and rising input costs.”
The researchers believe the approach could work for other high-value crops cultivated for essential oils. “If similar nutrient efficiency is achieved elsewhere, farmers can reduce chemical load without compromising yield,” the report noted.
The peer-reviewed study has been published in Industrial Crops and Products. The team now plans field-scale trials to evaluate long-term soil impact, cost efficiency, and scalability for farmers handling sensitive or high-input crops.