RESPONSE OF TOMATO PLANTS TO DIFFERENT RATES OF IRON NANOPARTICLES SPRAYING AS FOLIAR FERTILIZATION

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out on a clayey soil in Egypt cultivated with tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), and irrigated with Nile water, to study the potential benefit of zinc nutrient in nanoparticles form Vis. mineral [ZnSO 4 .7H 2 O (22.75%Zn)]. The zinc nutrient forms were applied as foliar application and the studied parameters were growth, yield, days to flowering and some quality parameters. The obtained results reveal that the tomato parts dry matter, yield of fruits, and some quality properties including pigment content (Chlorophyll and lycopene), total sugars and total soluble solids (TSS) greatly increased, in general with additions of iron nutrient forms. During nanoparticle treatments, the most effective treatment was with the rate of half dose from minerals at recommended dose (ZnNPs at 50%RD). Mineral forms in normal recommended dose (MNRD) gave nearly equal effect with ZnNPs at 50%RD. About days to flowering treatments, the minimum number of days was accompanied with (ZnNPs at 50%RD) followed by (MNRD). From aforementioned results, it can be concluded that, the foliar application of iron nutrients in the form of nanoparticles presented equal effects with mineral forms in the rate of half concentration from recommended dose. By these results nanoparticles application may save the amount of agrochemical used in fertilizers. The low quantities of nanoparticles were more effective than higher from ordinary source (mineral source) may be due to that nanoparticles pathway reached the target sites of plant without facing retarding factors such as permeability selection, redox reactions and charges on cell wall.