FROM NUMERICAL MODEL TO SOIL: A PARAMETRIC STUDY OF CONTROLLED NUTRIENT RELEASE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

FROM NUMERICAL MODEL TO SOIL: A PARAMETRIC STUDY OF CONTROLLED NUTRIENT RELEASE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Abstrakt

Systems based on controlled nutrient release represent an attractive approach for enhancing fertilization efficiency and minimizing environmental losses in agricultural production. Besides inorganic nutrients, organic soil amendments are also used in agricultural release systems. They can be utilized not only by plants but also by the soil microbiome. This study presents a parametric analysis of a numerical model describing the release of nutrients from a polymer-coated spherical particle, designed as a conceptual model for controlled-release fertilizers. Developed in COMSOL Multiphysics, the model simulates the diffusion process through a thin polymer layer into the surrounding environment and analyses the influence of key physicochemical parameters (e.g., layer thickness, diffusion coefficient, temperature, or initial probe concentration) on release kinetics. Model parameters were selected based on values reported in the scientific literature, ensuring both physical consistency and practical relevance. This approach enables a quantitative understanding of system behaviour under a wide range of realistic conditions, helps identify the dominant factors affecting release dynamics, and verifies the model’s numerical stability. The findings complement experimental research and demonstrate how integrating computational modelling within the area of agricultural chemistry can contribute to the design of smart and sustainable fertilizers, supporting resilient soil–plant systems and more efficient nutrient management.

Systems based on controlled nutrient release represent an attractive approach for enhancing fertilization efficiency and minimizing environmental losses in agricultural production. Besides inorganic nutrients, organic soil amendments are also used in agricultural release systems. They can be utilized not only by plants but also by the soil microbiome. This study presents a parametric analysis of a numerical model describing the release of nutrients from a polymer-coated spherical particle, designed as a conceptual model for controlled-release fertilizers. Developed in COMSOL Multiphysics, the model simulates the diffusion process through a thin polymer layer into the surrounding environment and analyses the influence of key physicochemical parameters (e.g., layer thickness, diffusion coefficient, temperature, or initial probe concentration) on release kinetics. Model parameters were selected based on values reported in the scientific literature, ensuring both physical consistency and practical relevance. This approach enables a quantitative understanding of system behaviour under a wide range of realistic conditions, helps identify the dominant factors affecting release dynamics, and verifies the model’s numerical stability. The findings complement experimental research and demonstrate how integrating computational modelling within the area of agricultural chemistry can contribute to the design of smart and sustainable fertilizers, supporting resilient soil–plant systems and more efficient nutrient management.

Controlled-release of fertilizers; COMSOL Multiphysics modeling; Diffusion dynamics; Nutrient management; Sustainable agriculture

Controlled-release of fertilizers; COMSOL Multiphysics modeling; Diffusion dynamics; Nutrient management; Sustainable agriculture

01.02.2026

ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna - Via Zamboni, 33 - 40126 Bologna

AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY WINTER SCHOOL SOIL-PLANT-MICROBIOME FUNCTIONALITY AND ADAPTATION TO ANTHROPOGENIC STRESS AND CLIMATE CHANGE BOOK OF ABSTRACT

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https://site.unibo.it/acws-2026/en/documents