Abstract
The physiological responses of habanero pepper plants (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) to foliar applications of zinc sulphate and zinc nano-fertilizer were evaluated in greenhouse trials. The effect of the supplement on fruit quality of habanero pepper was particularly observed. Habanero pepper plants were grown to maturity, and during the main stages of phenological development, they were treated with foliar applications of Zn at concentrations of 1000 and 2000 mg L−1 in the form of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). Additional Zn was not supplied to the control treatment plants. ZnO NPs at a concentration of 1000 mg L−1 positively affected plant height, stem diameter, and chlorophyll content, and increased fruit yield and biomass accumulation compared to control and ZnSO4 treatments. ZnO NPs at 2000 mg L−1 negatively affected plant growth but significantly increased fruit quality, capsaicin content by 19.3%, dihydrocapsaicin by 10.9%, and Scoville Heat Units by 16.4%. In addition, at 2000 ZnO NPs mg L−1 also increased content of total phenols and total flavonoids (soluble + bound) in fruits (14.50% and 26.9%, respectively), which resulted in higher antioxidant capacity in ABTS (2,2′azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) (15.4%, 31.8%, and 20.5%, respectively). These results indicate that application of ZnO NPs could be employed in habanero pepper production to improve yield, quality, and nutraceutical properties of fruits.
Highlights
The addition of fertilizers to supplement the natural fertility of the soil is essential for modern crop production, and precise nutrient management is indispensable for sustainable agricultural production [1]
This research compared growth (ZnO NPs), and analyzed the quality and accumulation of bioactive compounds of pepper fruits responses of pepper plants to foliar applications of zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) and zinc nano-fertilizer obtained from plants treated with ZnSO4 and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to understand their effect on the physiology of (ZnO NPs), and analyzed the quality and accumulation of bioactive compounds of pepper fruits pepper plants
NPs intensified their orange color due to the increased production of carotenoids in response to these results suggest that the fruits of the plants treated with the foliar application of redox state modified by the application of
Summary
The addition of fertilizers to supplement the natural fertility of the soil is essential for modern crop production, and precise nutrient management is indispensable for sustainable agricultural production [1]. The effects of ZnO NPs on plants result from changes in the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the materials applied as nano-fertilizers, as well as on their catalytic properties These changes affect chemical and biological activities that could induce oxidative stress and toxicity in plants and stimulate the antioxidant systems [20,21]. This research compared growth (ZnO NPs), and analyzed the quality and accumulation of bioactive compounds of pepper fruits responses of pepper plants to foliar applications of zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) and zinc nano-fertilizer obtained from plants treated with ZnSO4 and ZnO NPs to understand their effect on the physiology of (ZnO NPs), and analyzed the quality and accumulation of bioactive compounds of pepper fruits pepper plants. Obtained from plants treated with ZnSO4 and ZnO NPs to understand their effect on the physiology of pepper plants
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