Agricultural sustainability faces numerous challenges, including climate change, depletion of natural resources, land fragmentation and soil degradation caused by excessive use of chemical fertilizers. The widespread deficiency of micronutrients, resulting from intensive cropping and high-yielding varieties, has further reduced crop productivity. Foliar application of chelated fertilizers emerges as a promising solution to address these issues. Chelating agents are organic compounds that tightly bind metal ions such as Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg, and Ca, enhancing their solubility, stability and availability to plants. This organic coating allows chelated nutrients to penetrate the waxy leaf surface efficiently, facilitating faster absorption and translocation. Amino acid-based chelates, in particular, improve plant performance, enhance nutrient uptake, and increase the vitamin and protein content of crops. They also help mitigate abiotic stresses such as salinity by acting as buffers and biostimulants. Compared to inorganic fertilizers, chelates are more effective at lower doses and are compatible with other agrochemicals, though their high cost and potential environmental persistence pose limitations. Overall, foliar feeding of chelated fertilizers offers an efficient strategy to improve crop growth, yield and quality under adverse conditions, supporting sustainable agricultural practices.