PDGF BB induces VEGF secretion in ovarian cancer.

Sustainable agriculture is taking care of food and textile needs and protect the environment without involving harmful chemicals. Urea is a nitrogenous fertilizer available in the market with about 46% of nitrogen content. When applied in the field, urea faces several chemical transformations and lost its efficiency without special practices. On the other hand, nanoparticles possess remarkable properties that are different from their bulk counterparts. When the size is close to the atomic scale, the changes in properties emerge due to their high surface area to volume ratio. All the atoms come to the surface that results in superior material performance. When urea is coated with nanoparticles, the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers and delivery of micronutrients to plants are greatly enhanced. This technique slowly releases the nitrogen over time, reduces nutrient loss and increases uptake by plants even under the salt stress, alkaline soils and drought conditions. Nano urea offers enhanced nitrogen availability and more environmentally friendly than conventional urea to improve the plan growth and yield. Nano urea is a sustainable alternative to conventional nitrogen fertilizers as it promotes plant growth, increases chlorophyll content, improves photosynthetic activity, enhances grain yield, and minimizes nutrient losses. The incorporation of urea within functional nanoparticles such as zinc oxide, hydroxyapatite, iron oxide and chitosan improves the mechanical integrity, permeability, and responsiveness of the fertilizer thus enabling sustained and controlled release. This strategy minimizes nutrient losses, prolongs nitrogen availability in the soil, and enhances nutrient uptake, resulting in higher crop yields, and increased nitrogen use efficiency. The technology reduces the frequency of fertilizer application, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigates soil and water contamination. This review summarizes the synthesis methods, physicochemical properties, mechanisms of nutrient delivery, agronomic benefits and environmental implications of nano urea technology. The limitations and future research directions are also discussed to develop nano-enabled nitrogen fertilizers for sustainable agriculture.