Nano-Ferric Oxide Promotes Watermelon Growth

Abstract

With the rapid growing of nanotechnology, the effects of nanomaterials released into the environment\ron plants have drawn more and more attention. Iron is an element essential for plant\rgrowth and development. Iron is involved in chlorophyll formation; iron deficiency will cause a\rplant disorder known as chlorosis. However, whether iron in nano-ferric oxide can be absorbed by\rplants were rarely concerned. Nano-ferric oxide might promote the growth and development of\rplants in a suitable concentration. An experiment was designed to evaluate whether nano-ferric\roxide can be used to treat chlorosis and the physiological changes of plants in nano-ferric oxide\renvironment. Watermelon was chosen as the experimental plant. Seedlings of watermelon plants\rwere grown in full nutrient solution without iron for 2 weeks until the leaves got yellow. Then the\rseedlings were treated with different concentrations of nano-ferric oxide (0, 20, 50, 100 mg/L)\rand 50 mmol/L of EDTA-Fe(II) for a month. The control group seedlings were still grown in full\rnutrient solution without any iron. Indicators such as activity of antioxidase like superoxide dismutase\r(SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) and content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and\rsoluble protein were studied to measure the physiological effects nano-ferric oxide might have on\rwatermelon. It was observed that the leaves reverted green. Experimental data showed that watermelon\rabsorbed iron from nano-ferric oxide, and nano-ferric oxide promoted watermelon\rgrowth in some ways in a suitable concentration.