The Effect of Zeolites on Soil and Plant: A Review

ABSTRACT

Zeolites are aluminosilicates with a lattice structure consisting of tetrahedral AlO₄ and SiO₄ molecules. Due to the lattice structure of zeolites, there are many areas of use from agriculture to industry and studies continue in these areas. In addition, they are used as herbicides, pesticides, and plant nutrient carriers because of their adsorption properties. One of the main issues that is focused is that zeolite, which is loaded with plant nutrients, spreads its content to the soil over time with a slow release mechanism. Even when zeolite is mixed directly with soil, it affects the use of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil. In addition, if there is heavy metal pollution in the soil, it also collects them. Additionally, as a result of research studies, it is seen that zeolite mixed with soil is effective in reducing the negative effects of salinity and drought stress on plants. Zeolites are seen to have positive effects in many areas in the agricultural field. In this review, the use of zeolite in the agricultural field has been investigated in a multifaceted way, and the results of the studies have been compiled.

HIGHLIGHTS

• We compiled the use of zeolite in agriculture.

• We have compiled the herbicide, pesticide, and fungicide carrier properties of zeolite.

• We compiled the plant nutrient carrier properties of zeolite.

• We compiled the effects of zeolite on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium usage in the soil.

• We compiled the response of plants to zeolite under different stress conditions.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

The use of zeolite in agriculture, its herbicide, pesticide and fungicide carrier properties, its plant nutrient carrier properties, its effects on the use of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil, and the response of plants to zeolite under different stress conditions have been compiled.

KEYWORDS:

• Agriculture
• plant nutrition
• slow release
• soil
• zeolite

Acknowledgements

We thanks to TUBITAK-2244 Industry Doctorate Program Project of Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) (Project number: 118C156) and Toros Agri Industry and Trade Co. Inc. This study is supported by Mersin University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit (Project Number: 2022-2-TP3-4728).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

All ethical guidelines have been adhered.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Conceptualization: Mehmet Ufuk Aslan, Hakan Arslan; Formal Analysis: Formal Analysis; Investigation: Mehmet Ufuk Aslan, Hakan Arslan; Writing – Original Draft: Mehmet Ufuk Aslan, Hakan Arslan; Writing – Review and Editing: Mehmet Ufuk Aslan, Hakan Arslan; Funding acquisition: Hakan Arslan; Supervision: Hakan Arslan; Project Administration: Hakan Arslan.

Additional information

Funding

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004410; Mersin University http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004172