Foliar applications of bio-fabricated selenium nanoparticles to improve the growth of wheat plants under drought stress

Zia-ur-Rehman Mashwani,Tahira Sultana,Bilal Javed,Mubashir Hussain,Abida Akram,Naveed Iqbal Raja,Khafsa Malik,Noman Rafique,Muhammad Ikram,Mujahid Hussain,Maria Ehsan

doi:10.1515/gps-2020-0067

Abstract

AbstractThe present study was aimed to biosynthesize selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and assess their foliar applications to improve the growth of wheat plants under controlled irrigation and drought stress. Bud aqueous extract ofAllium sativumL. was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent of SeNPs followed by their optical and morphological characterization by using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Various concentrations of SeNPs (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/L) were applied exogenously to drought-tolerant (V1) and drought-susceptible (V2) wheat varieties at the trifoliate stage. Under the positive control conditions, plants were irrigated with 450 mL of water/pot (100% field capacity); and under water-deficit environment, plants were irrigated with 160 mL of water/pot (35% field capacity). Remarkable increase in plant height, shoot length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, leaf area, leaf number, and leaf length has been observed when 30 mg/L concentration of SeNPs was used. However, the plant morphological parameters decreased gradually at higher concentrations (40 mg/L) in both selected wheat varieties. Therefore, 30 mg/L concentration of SeNPs was found most preferable to enhance the growth of selected wheat varieties under normal and water-deficient conditions.

Highlights

Good agriculture practices of an area help economic growth, ensure food security, reduce inflation, and improve the livelihood of farmers and the associated people
selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were synthesized from Na2SeO3 through an ecofriendly approach by using Allium sativum bud’s
The change in the color of the reaction mixture is the response of the interaction of the SeNPs with the wavelength of light which was measured in the form of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band by using spectrophotometry [26]

Summary

Introduction

Good agriculture practices of an area help economic growth, ensure food security, reduce inflation, and improve the livelihood of farmers and the associated people. Poor agriculture practices include wrong seed selection and the use of low-grade pesticides and fertilizers along with drastic environmental conditions, affecting crop production and yield greatly [1,2]. The other drastic abiotic environmental factors include extreme salinity, severe water-deficit soil, and harsh temperature that adversely affect the development and growth of the wheat crop. It causes pollen sterility, produces shriveled seeds in wheat, disturbs photosynthetic and respiratory enzymes, and leads to the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that pose detrimental impacts on plasma cell membrane lipids, deoxyribonucleic acids, carbohydrates, and protein contents and induce oxidative stress in plant species [1,6,7]

Methods

Results

Conclusion