A review of chemometrics combined with modern spectroscopy technology in fertilizer analysis

To promote the rapid development of the fertilizer industry, this paper reviewed the research on chemometric methods combined with analytical spectroscopy (including near-infrared spectroscopy, mid-infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy) in the fertilizer industry over the past two decades. Five parts were described according to the applied spectroscopy. Finally, the paper provides an outlook for the future development of the fertilizer industry. (1) To enhance the overall quality of fertilizers, it is imperative to broaden the scope of critical quality attributes, while simultaneously strengthening the monitoring of the fertilizer production process. (2) The utilization of spectral imaging technology enables the acquisition of both spatial and spectral insights into the ingredients of a fertilizer, providing a comprehensive understanding of its composition. (3) The employment of multi-source spectral data fusion methods has the potential to effectively surmount the inherent constraints of individual spectroscopic techniques, offering a more comprehensive and accurate analysis. (4) The establishment of an open-source spectral database for fertilizers would significantly contribute to the further expansion and advancement of this field. It is anticipated that the integration of chemometrics with analytical spectroscopy will enhance fertilizer production, ultimately fostering a shift towards a more sustainable development path.