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Nanofertilizers could promote nutrient efficiency with slow release compared to conventional fertilizers (CF). Most of the applied nitrogen is lost on the soil by leaching, due to the rapid release behavior of CF. Clays can function as a nanosized porous structure to retain and slowly release nutrients. The objective of this study was to evaluate a nitrogenous nanocomposite (NCN) and its effect on leaching and N content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa). The treatments applied were: 100% conventional fertilizer, 100% nitrogenous nanocomposite and the mixture in percentage of CF/NCN 25/75, 50/50, 75/25 and 25/0, 50/0 75/0% on columns of soil with lettuce for 45 days. Leachates at the end of the cycle increased in treatments with NCN. Treatments with NCN have higher N content in the leaf. In regard to biomass growth, leaf area, leaf N, drained variables, electrical conductivity and NO 3 - content, it was possible to show that the doses of 50 and 75% of NCN match the characteristics of the crop compared to the control, which allows us to use lower doses than those recommended with CFs., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Plants of Agave spp. perform Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) and are highly drought-tolerant, but little is known concerning seed germination under low water availability. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of substrate water potential (ΨW) on seed germination and contrast hydrotime parameters of seven valuable and commercially-important Agave species from different geographical distributions and climatic regions of Mexico. Our hypothesis was that seed germination of Agave species is not affected by low water availability independently of seed biomass and the climate of their distribution area., Results: Seed germination (at 25°C and in the dark) between 85 and 100% for all species occurred within 80-180 h at -0.03 MPa and 250-430 h at -1.0 MPa. Seed germination at -1.5 MPa declined to less than 50% (p < 0.05) for A. asperrima and A. cupreata but did not change significantly for A. americana var. marginata, A. lechuguilla and A. striata, although they showed the lowest mean base water potential (-2.01 to -2.64 MPa). Seed germination of 40% Agave species, from arid and semi-arid climates in this study, was not affected by the lower ΨW., Conclusion: Germination of seeds of Agave species is moderately affected by low water availability, is partially dependent of their ecological distribution, and is independent of seed mass.