Abstract
Pisum sativum L. grown in hot, dry environments suffers from significant yield losses that can be reduced by cost-effective and smart agriculture practices such as nanopriming. The goal of the current study was to better understand iron oxide nanoparticles (FeO-NPs) potential effects on pea plants under drought stress. For 12 h, pea plant seeds were immersed in FeO-NPs aerated solutions (25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm). As a control, seeds were steeped in water. The experiment was conducted in an open field setting using a split-plot factorial design, with one main plot divided into two subplots representing drought and well-irrigated situations. The seeds were then sown in both of the subplots in five rows, one row for each treatment. The growth, biochemical, and yield parameters under study were significantly impacted by drought stress. All the seed priming treatments significantly enhanced the performance of garden pea plants under drought stress; however, the 75 ppm treatment was found to be the most effective among all. The drought-affected pea plants' root length increased by 38 % and their number of leaves increased by 24 % compared to control after being seed primed with FeO-NPs (75 ppm). The same treatment reduced the levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide in the water-stressed pea plants by 35 % and 52 %, respectively compared to control. FeO-NPs (75 ppm) seed priming increased the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) by 13 % and 38 %, respectively (compared to control), allowing the plant to resist oxidative damage. The pea plants were able to produce a higher yield compared to the control due to changes in biochemical characteristics and the build-up of osmolytes such as proline and total soluble sugars. The current study suggests using seed priming with FeO-NPs to reduce production losses brought on by drought in pea plants.
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