Ramesh Raliya and Pratim Biswas, the two Indian American scientists at Washington University in St Louis have found a sustainable way to boost agricultural production in keeping with the increasing global population, during their research on the use of nanoparticle technology in agriculture. Pratim Biswas at Washington University in St Louis is a professor of environmental engineering science and Ramesh Raliya is a research scientist.
The eco-friendly alternative to conventional phosphorus-rich fertilizers is expected to usher in a new age of organic farming, discovered by the two Indian scientists has been described as historic with far reaching consequences to the way plants are going to be grown in the coming decades.
Both in the School of Engineering and Applied Science discovered that the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles in farming would not only improve the growth of food crops but also save water bodies from the polluting effects of phosphorus deposits.
Published in Washington University’s Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, the research by Ramesh Raliya and Pratim Biswas is the first study to highlight drawbacks of using conventional fertilizers in farming and benefits of using zinc oxide nanoparticles in fertilization of plants. Professor Pratim Biswas at Washington University in St Louis says that 45% of the worldwide use of phosphorus for farming is reported in India and China.