Abstract
Salinity stress limits crop growth and productivity, including legumes in various regions worldwide. The impact of foliar-applied zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) and combined zinc nano-loaded with moringa extracts (ZnONPs) on salt tolerance in faba beans (cultivar, Giza-716) grown under saline soil (50 and 100 mM NaCl) was investigated. Moringa oleifera extract has been used as a chelating agent to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles. The crystalline structure, morphology, and chemical composition of ZnO nanoparticles were studied using various characterization techniques, including UV-visible spectroscopy (UV), Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphological, chemical, and biochemical parameters of plants at 60 and 90 days after sowing were assessed. Salinity stress caused a remarkable reduction in growth traits, photosynthetic pigments and proline levels of the faba bean. Foliar spray with ZnNPs and ZnONPs on faba bean grown under saline soils promoted plant growth parameters (i.e., shoot length, numbers of leaves, relative water content, shoot and roots fresh and dry weights), photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids), proline and mineral elements (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Zn2+) compared to control. However, at 100 mM NaCl, there were no significant variations in the mentioned parameters. This study suggested that there is potential for foliar spraying with ZnNPs and ZnONPs in improving growth parameters, photosynthesis efficiency and biochemical aspects of faba bean plants under saline conditions.
Highlights
Faba bean, known as the broad bean, field bean, or horse bean, is a significant leguminous crop worldwide due to its nutrient-rich seeds or fresh green fruits used as human food or animal feed [1]
This study suggested that there is potential for foliar spraying with zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) in improving growth parameters, photosynthesis efficiency and biochemical aspects of faba bean plants under saline conditions
Our research aims to study the effect of ZnONPs nanoparticles on vegetative growth, several physiological traits, photosynthetic pigments, proline accumulation, and ion contents of faba bean cultivar under saline conditions, based on employing natural chemicals transferred into plant tissues via nanoparticles which maybe reduce the effect of stress on plants grown under salinity
Summary
Known as the broad bean, field bean, or horse bean, is a significant leguminous crop worldwide due to its nutrient-rich seeds or fresh green fruits used as human food or animal feed [1]. Salinity is one of the most limiting abiotic stresses that impacts agricultural plant quality and quantity worldwide [3]. Salinity stress causes a combination of ionic and osmotic stresses in plants, leading to cellular, molecular, and physiological deterioration, as well as reduced food uptake and photosynthetic performance [4]. Salt stress produces plenty of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which degrades biomolecules, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, as well as other enzymatic activities, and even causes the cell membrane system to deteriorate [5]. Salt significantly influences cell growth and expansion, plant membrane irregularity, ion toxicity, metabolic function change, germination mechanism, photosynthetic activity, leaf, shoot, and root lengths [7]
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