Impact of Salinity Stress and ZnO-NPs on Macro and Micronutrient Assimilation: Unraveling the Link between Environmental Factors and Nutrient Uptake

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the effects of salinity (NaCl) on the mineral composition and macro- and micronutrient contents of rice plants. The experiment was conducted at the Department of Biotechnology’s experimental area in SVPUAT Meerut. Various salinity treatments were applied, including T0 (Control), T1 (60 mM NaCl), T2 (80 mM NaCl), T3 (100 mM NaCl), T4 (ZnO NPs 50 mg/L + 60 mM NaCl), T5 (ZnO NPs 50 mg/L + 80 mM NaCl), and T6 (ZnO NPs 50 mg/L + 100 mM NaCl). The results analysis revealed that the micro- and micronutrients in rice genotypes decreased compared to the control treatment. However, when 50 mg/L of ZnO-NPs were applied, the concentrations of both macro- and micronutrient contents in rice plants were found to increase. This is the most significant finding of this research.