Environmental impact of fertilizer use and slow release of mineral nutrients as a response to this challenge

This paper presents the most important issues relating to the infl uence of mineral fertilizers on both the natural environment and human and animal health. The physiological, environmental and economic impact of fertilizer production and application, resulted from a low assimilation of mineral components by crops, has been described. The research on the development and production of a large and diverse group of materials with slow-release properties that can increase the effectiveness of nutrient uptake, alleviate the negative infl uence of fertilizers on the environment and reduce labor and energy consumption associated with the use of conventional fertilizers, has been reviewed.