Algal Nanobiofertilizers: Prospects and Challenges

Sustainable agriculture is a global priority, as it aims to ensure food production while protecting our planet’s resources for future generations emphasizing the alternative for chemical fertilizers. Chemicals are replaced with the use of biofertilizers including bacteria, fungi, and algae for plant growth promotion that certainly enriches the soil. Besides, nanofertilizers turned out to be an alternate version of chemical fertilizers that overcome the residual effect of toxic chemicals, where the coated nanoparticles aid in targeted and timely release of nutrients to the soil. Together the components, nanoparticles and biofertilizer yielded the promising approach of nanobiofertilizers as ecofriendly alternative in agricultural sector by overcoming the demerits of conventional fertilization. As ubiquitous inhabitant, algae already journeying as biofertilizer and biostimulant that imparts plant health positively as well as helps in maintaining soil health with their exudates. Apart from being a soil and crop booster, algal cells itself act as biological factories that manufacture nanoparticles that imposes algae as an eligible candidate for nanobiofertilizer (NBF) synthesis. This chapter summarizes the application of algal-based nanofertilizers in the different streams of agriculture like crop production and protection. The prospects of algal NBFs and the challenges involved in the synthesis and use are also mentioned.