Abstract
The study investigated the green and chemical approaches for the preparation of Zn nanoparticles and their effect on the growth of okra plants under saline conditions. The leaf extract of Sorghum bicolor L. was used for the green synthesis of zinc nanoparticles (Zn-GNPs). Zinc nanoparticles (Zn-NPs) were also produced by the co-precipitation method (Zn-CNPs). The synthesized NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and were applied foliarly in the range of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% on okra plants. A marked increase in the shoot and root fresh and dry weight (g) and chlorophyll contents were observed under normal and saline conditions. An increase in antioxidant activity was observed under saline conditions. However, the foliar application of 0.3% Zn-GNPs was helpful in the regulation of the antioxidant defense system under a saline environment. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the use of Zn-GNPs is the most promising eco-friendly approach in mitigating salinity stress.
Highlights
Salt stress exerts drastic effects on plants in terms of decreasing productivity [1]
Physiological processes affected by the salinity stress include modification of mineral nutrition, ion balance, water status, photosynthetic efficiency and stomatal behavior
A change in the color to yellow indicated the formation of zinc nanoparticles (Zn-GNPs) [13]
Summary
Salt stress exerts drastic effects on plants in terms of decreasing productivity [1]. Physiological processes affected by the salinity stress include modification of mineral nutrition, ion balance, water status, photosynthetic efficiency and stomatal behavior. Salinity affects plant growth by affecting its physiology both at cellular as well as whole plant level through ionic and osmotic stress. The reduction of the water inside the plant leads to osmotic stress in plants. It creates an imbalance in the uptake of useful ions like K+ , Ca2+ and Mg2+ and replaces it with the uptake of toxic ions like Na+ and Cl−. Various physiological processes affected by the salt stress include membrane permeability, membrane instability from Ca2+ and K+ displacement by
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