The effect of four different nanoparticles on germination of okra seeds

Abstract

Introduction - Nanoparticles (NPs) as a novel material (1-100 nm) have been widely applied in various fields due to their small size, large specific surface area, high reactivity, and excellent physical and chemical properties. In the agricultural field, research on NPs has explored their functions as fertilizers, growth regulators, pesticides, antibacterial agents, and biosensors; so far there has not any research on seed germination been found. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the effects of NPs on seed germination of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.). Materials andmethods - Okra seeds ('Xianzhi','Red', 'Cream') were selected with nanomaterials (Carbon nanoparticles, Nano-Si02, Nano-Ti02, Nano-Al203) to examine their germination characteristics including germination percentage, germination index, germination rate, vitality index, moisture content, and the effect on their morphological traits of early seedlings like shoot length, root length, stem diameter, fresh weight, and dry weight of the seedlings. The One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to analyse all the treatments and comprehensively evaluate the germination indices of okra seeds exposed to different NPs. Results and discussion - Through membership function analysis, low concentrations of CNPs and SNPs are found to be beneficial for promoting the germination of okra seeds ('Xianzhi'). Significant differences between most parameters were found, and different concentrations of the same nanomaterial and different nanomaterials at the same concentration had been found to have distinct effects on seed germination and seedling growth, this may be related to the material properties. Conclusion - Taken all together the optimal impact on germination of seeds of varieties A and B was found in carbon nanoparticles at 7.5 mg I/1. These findings highlight the complexity of NP interactions, which appear to promote seed germination through its influence on plant physiology. Further research is necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of the mechanistic effects of nanomaterials on diverse seed varieties.