The effects of magnetic compounds on growth and yield of cucumber under greenhouse conditions

Abstract

This study was performed to examine the effects of different concentrations of magnetic nano-chitosan (MNC) and nano-Fe3O4 (NF) on the growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. 'Negin'). The sizes of nano-particles were in the range of 20 nm to 50 nm, and their concentrations ranged between 10 to 100 mg L-1. The experiment was designed with nine treatments of MNC (10, 25, 50 and 100 mg L-1), NF (10, 25, 50 and 100 mg L-1) and one control treatment (iron chelate; IC: 60 mg L-1). The results showed that the foliar application of MNC and NF could improve yield and plant growth in cucumber, as well as iron chelate. The results of the present study suggest that the foliar application of nano-fertilizers similar to iron chelate could improve the plant growth and yield of the greenhouse cucumber. As regards toxicity of iron chelates, especially in high doses in the soil, the application of MNC may be safer in sustainable agriculture and even could be better than NF, because it has the combined effects of magnetism, chitosan and being nano-size.