A collaborative research effort by University of Massachusetts Amherst and Jiangnan University has demonstrated a novel method to enhance rice nutrition and yield while reducing fertilizer usage. Applying nanoscale selenium improves nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice fields under real-world conditions, reducing environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions linked to fertilizer application. The technique boosts soil microbial diversity and decreases methane and nitrous oxide emissions, offering a scalable approach to sustainable rice cultivation benefiting global food security and environmental health.