Characteristics Of Seedlings Research Articles

The effects of NaCl, KCl, CaCl2 and MgCl2 on the germination and seedling growth of Oryza sativa L. seeds

The effect of increasing concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 mM) of chloride salts (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2 and MgCl2) on the seed germination and seedling characteristics in the early growing stage was investigated during the period 2021-2022. The seeds of five introduced varieties grown on alluvial-meadow soil type in the territory of the town Plovdiv, Bulgaria were used. The trials were performed in two replicates of 25 seeds for each variant. Germination of seeds was performed between rolls of filter paper with 20 ml of the respective solutions tested. Different chloride salts and their concentrations caused different effects on the studied germination and seedling characteristics. Rice seeds showed a higher germination rate under salinity stress caused by NaCl and KCl than under stress caused by CaCl2 and MgCl2. Increasing the salt concentration extended the mean germination time for all four salts. The highest value of the relative injury coefficient was recorded when rice seeds were treated with MgCl2 at salt concentrations of 150, 200, 250 and 300 mM, as well as when treated with CaCl2 at a concentration of 300 mM. The seedling height reduction varied widely from 14.10% (at 50 mM NaCl) to 100% (at 250 mM and 300 mM MgCl2, 300 mM CaCl2). In general, the application of increasing concentrations of NaCl and KCl salts from 50 mM to 300 mM caused an osmotic stress on rice seeds, while CaCl2 at 300 mM and MgCl2 at 250-300 mM solutions caused a toxicity effect.

Evaluation of Genetic variability and viability association of eight Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) varieties under different level of salinity stress

An investigation was carried to study the mean performance, variability and the associations between characters in mungbean. For this study eight mungbean genotypes viz., ADT 2, BM-2002-1, ML 5, AKM 4, Vishal, Vamban, TARM 1 and Utkarsh were used. The experiment was conducted in the Seed Science and Technology (sst) Laboratory and at Pot culture yard, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalai nagar, Tamil nadu from September 2016 to December 2017 with four salt treatments (0, 2, 4 and 6 DSM-1) in ramdomized block design with three replications. Observation were on seven seedling characters such as germination percentage, seedling shoot length, seedling root length, seedling shoot fresh weight, seedling root fresh weight, seedling shoot dry weight, seedling root dry weight and seven quantitative characters such as days to first flowering, plant height, number of branches/plant, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, 100 seed weight and seed yield/plant. Four elite genotypes were found to be superior based on the mean performance namely Utkarsh, TARM 1, Vamban and Vishal among the various levels of salinity.

Adaptive and viable characteristics of microclonal seedlings of hyperhylophyte of Suaeda arcuate under in vitro conditions

This article presents data on the introduction of in vitro culture and microclonal propagation of plants identified in the group of hyperhalophytes belonging to the Suaeda arcuata Bunge. This study was carried out to optimize the composition of nutrient media for the main stages of reproduction in vitro, as well as studies on the rooting and adaptation of regenerants for species of the Suaeda arcuata from axillary or apical buds, but more often from stem segments with a node. In this work, hormones of the cytokinin and auxin series, or a combination of them, were added to the nutrient environment for growth activation. The cultivation of regenerates on the environment 1/2 MS + 1 mg/l 6-BAP + 0.3 mg/l IAA + 2,4-D showed the best effect on the growth of regenerants, created the possibility of obtaining the maximum amount of biomass. Our study indicated that Suaeda arcuata is a highly salt-tolerant species that survived at 300 mM NaCl most conducive to plant growth, where the quantity of Pro and Met were bigger than the control.

Effect of short peptides on seed germination and morphometric parameters of flax seedlings

The use of peptide preparations is one of the current trends in modern agriculture. These preparations can be used to increase the efficiency of sowing treatment of agricultural crops seeds. The article presents the results of a laboratory experiment aimed at studying the effect of a complex of short peptides AC-3 (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, leucine) on seed germination and morphometric parameters of flax seedlings (Linum usitatissimum L.) - Tverskoy variety. The maximum germination energy (68, 68 and 74%, 50% at the control) and seed germination values (95, 95 and 100%, 75% at the control) were obtained in variants with seed treatment with a complex of short peptides at concentrations of 1*10-12, 1*10-13, and 1*10-15 g/l, respectively. According to the totality of the maximum values of seed quality indicators and morphometric characteristics of flax seedlings, the Tverskoy variety (the length of roots and sprouts, the yield of raw and dry biomass of seedlings), the optimal concentration of a complex of short peptides for pre-sowing seed treatment is 1*10-15 g/l.

Parâmetros fitotécnicos e nutricionais de mudas de figueira sobre diferentes proporções de caule decomposto de buriti

Abstract: Plant and fruit quality is a reflection of several factors, one of which is the way the seedlings were produced. The aim of this study was to analyse the phytotechnical and nutritional characteristics of fig tree seedlings (Ficus carica L.) produced in a substrate comprising decomposed stems of the buriti palm (Mauritia flexuosa L.). A randomised block design was used, with treatments distributed in a 5x6 factorial scheme with one additional treatment, arranged in five blocks. The substrates included the following levels of decomposed buriti stems: 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%, with a different decomposition time (0; 15; 30; 45; 60 and 75 days) for each treatment. There was one additional treatment comprising 100% soil. The following variables were evaluated to determine the effects of the treatments: number of leaves (NL), number of branches (NB), leaf chlorophyll index, diameter of the largest shoot (DLS), length of the largest shoot (LLS), leaf area (LA), root length (RL), root volume (RV), shoot fresh matter (SFM), root fresh matter (RFM), shoot dry matter (SDM) and root dry matter (RDM), with a chemical analysis of the shoots and soil before and after setting up the experiment. The proportion of decomposed buriti palm stem in the substrate yielded significant results for the morphological variables, including the number of leaves, shoot fresh matter, root fresh matter and root volume. For the nutritional variables relating to the aerial part of the seedlings, the proportion of substrate yielded significant results for the levels of calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. There were no significant results from the decomposition time; however, multivariate analysis showed that by the end of the experiment the nutrient concentration in the soil was higher than before the experiment.

Study of morphological characteristics of several valuable Armeniam varieties of tomato

The article presents the researches on the morphological characteristics of seedlings, plants and fruits of several valuable Armenian tomato varieties intended for fresh consumption: Lia, Titan, Orange, intended for processing Marine and chery Zeytun, in the hot conditions of the Ararat Plain. The results of the study showed that the investigated varieties of tomato are distinguished from each other by morphological characteristics of plants, fruits of different size, shape, color, they are adaptive in the case of cultivation in the hot climatic conditions of the Ararat Plain. The results of the study allow to guarantee the cultivation of these new cultivars Titan, Orange, Marine, Zeytun in the farms of the zones with similar conditions.

Assessment of the growth of forest seedlings in new substrates from wood waste and sewage sludge

The morphological parameters of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings grown in experimental substrates made from sewage sludge and pine shavings (substrate 1), and pine bark (substrate 2) were studied. The production time of the substrate varied: substrate 1 – 2 months, substrate 2 – 1.5 years. Seedlings of 2-year-old pine were selected for research. To analyze the parameters of seedlings, average values and square deviations were calculated, reliability was determined by Fisher and Student tests. To analyze the length of the root system, one-way analysis of variance was used in MS Excel. For roots of the 2nd order and total root length, the observed values of Fisher’s criterion are: 15.42 and 11.27, which exceeds the critical value of 3.18 and indicates a significant difference between seedlings grown in the manufactured substrates. The diameter of the root collar of seedlings grown in peat exceeded that of seedlings grown on substrate 2 by 13%, and in substrate 2 by 4.4%. Maximum root length for seedlings from substrate 1. Substrates from wood waste and sewage sludge can replace fossil peat without losing the quality of growing seedlings and contribute to the emergence of improved quality characteristics of seedlings.

Effect of prechilling and nano-selenium on seed germination of Dorema ammoniacum

The aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of nano-selenium (nano-Se) on germination properties of vasha (Dorema ammoniacum), an endangered medicinal plant in Iran. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomised two-factor, experiment with five concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg L –1) of nano-Se and seed prechilling treatment (4°C). All the germination characteristics, including percentage germination, mean germination and vigour indices were improved by nano-Se treatments (p <; 0.05). Among the treatments, the combination of prechilling and 20 mg L –1 nano-Se conditioning was the best treatment, both in improving germination and the growth characteristics of seedlings. It can be concluded that pretreatment of seeds with nano-Se and prechilling can be used for promoting germination of D. ammoniacum seeds.

BIOTESTING OF SOIL CONDITIONS AT THE TERRITORIES ADJACENT TO AIRPORTS

The development of civil aviation is accompanied by a constant increase in man-made load on the environment. The application of methods of bioindication and biotesting of anthropogenic and technogenic influences on the ecosystem components is one of the possible options for monitoring the state of the environment at territories subject to technogenic stress due to the activities of environmentally hazardous enterprises. To study the level of man-made impact of airport activities on the state of the soil (namely, phytotoxicity), at the territory adjacent to the airport "Kyiv" named after I. Sikorskyi International Airport from the upper and lower levels at different distances from the airport runway (from 5 m to 2 km) soil samples were taken using the envelope method. As a control (conditionally clean soil), a soil sample collected at the territory of Holosiiv Park (soil type: dark gray forest soils) was used. In total, six soil samples were analyzed. On the third day of germination the growth characteristics of Allium cepa seedlings were determined. Test parameters that were used to determine the phytotoxic effect: the percentage of seed germination, namely the energy of its germination, the length of the root and the length of the stem. The analysis of the obtained data on the germination of Allium cepa seeds showed that the lowest germination was recorded for the soil samples that were taken at a distance of 5 and 1500 m from the runway, which indicates an increased level of phytotoxic impact due to the activities of the airport.
 The greatest phytotoxic effect for the stem of Allium cepa seedlings was observed for the soil sample located at a distance of 5 m from the ZPS. For soil samples taken at a distance of 5 m to 1000 m, i.e. with distance from the runway of the airport, a decrease in the level of phytotoxicity of the soil is observed. Only when approaching the highway (at a distance of 1,000 m to 2,000 m) there was observed an increase in phytotoxicity of the soil again.
 Among the investigated samples of meristem tissues, the presence of mitotic activity of cells was observed in the meristems of root tip samples of onion seedlings germinated on soil samples that were taken at a distance of 5 m, 1500 m and 2000 m from the airport. The determined mitotic indices (MI) for these soil samples are as following: for a soil sample taken at a distance of 5 m, it was 2.9 %; for a soil sample taken at a distance of 1500 m was 2.6 %; for a soil sample taken at a distance of 2000 m was 2.6 %. The research results confirm the need for constant monitoring of the soil condition at these technogenically loaded territories, in order to increase the level of environmental safety of these territories.

Effect of Priming on Seed Germination Characteristics of Spring Rice (Oryza sativa cv. Hardinath Hybrid-1) in Chandrapur, Rautahat, NEPAL

To determine the effects of different priming on Germination and Seedling Characteristics of Spring rice (Oryza Sativa L.), an experiment was carried out at Chandrapur municipality-4, Rautahat during March of 2022 with Seven different treatments viz. T1 Potash (3% Solution), T2 Urea (3% Solution), T3 DAP (3% Solution), T4 Halo (1Mole Nacl/Litre), T5 Zinc (3% Solution), T6 Hydro and T7 Control. The experiment was laid out in simple CRD design with three replications. Hardinath Hybrid-1 Variety was used for the experiment. Observations on Germination %, Germination Energy (%), Speed of Germination (%), Vigor Index, Root and Shoot Length, Fresh Weight of Seedlings and Dry Weight of Seedlings were considered. Data was entered and tabulated using MS-Excel, while Analysis of variation and mean separation was done using R-Studio. Biometrical Observation like germination Energy was found highest under the treatment DAP (82.67). The germination percentage (93.00) and vigor index (161.4) was found highest in DAP (3%) Priming and speed of germination (86.84) was found highest in Potash Priming. Similarly, root length (6.14cm) and shoot length (6.23cm) was found to be highest in DAP treatment followed by Halo treatment with root length (5.30cm) and shoot length (5.44 cm). At 10th and 15th Day, there is significant effect on root length while there are no significant differences/effect on Shoot length, fresh weight and Dry Weight. Among these priming treatments, the highest root length was found in priming of DAP; 7.84 cm and 8.07 cm.

Improving seed germination and physiological characteristics of maize seedlings under osmotic stress through potassium nano-silicate treatment.

Osmotic stress can significantly affect the survival and functioning of living organisms, particularly during vulnerable stages such as seed germination and seedling growth. To address this issue, advanced technologies like nanofertilizers have been developed to improve soil conditions and enhance plant growth in stressed ecosystems due to their multiple effects and efficient consumption. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of potassium nano-silicate (PNS) on the physiological characteristics of maize seedlings and seed germination under various levels of osmotic stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG). The study considered two factors: two levels of PNS concentration (500 and 1000 ppm) and PEG-6000 solution with different osmotic stress levels (-2, -4, -6, and -8 bars). The results demonstrated that the application of PNS at a concentration of 1000 ppm led to increased radicle length and hypocotyl length as well as fresh weight of maize seedlings. Furthermore, PNS at a concentration of 1000 ppm had a more beneficial effect on the germination rate of maize seedlings under osmotic stress compared to 500 ppm. Additionally, the application of PNS under osmotic stress conditions resulted in an increase in various physiological parameters, including protein content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll content, proline content, and the activity of catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (AXPO) enzymes. These findings indicate that the use of PNS can have a positive impact on the physiological characteristics of maize seedlings and seed germination under osmotic stress conditions. Overall, this technology has the potential to enhance crop growth and yield in stressed ecosystems. By improving the survival and function of plants during vulnerable stages, such as seed germination and seedling growth, the application of PNS can contribute to more resilient agricultural practices and promote sustainable food production in challenging environments.

Synergic effect of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and potassium fertilizer improves biomass-related characteristics of cocoa seedlings to enhance their drought resilience and field survival

Abstract Drought is the most widespread threat to cocoa production. We assessed the combined effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and potassium fertilizer on cocoa drought resilience and survival at the nursery to 2 years after transplanting to field. Nursery and field experiments were conducted at the FRNR farm (6°43N and 1°36W), Ghana, from 2020 to 2022. A 3 × 3 × 2 factorial experiment in a RCBD with three varieties of cocoa (CRG8914 × \times PA150; AMAZ315–15 × \times EQX78; PA150 × \times CRG 0314: V1; V2; V3 respectively), potassium (0, 2, and 4 g/plant), and mycorrhizal spore treatment (non-AMF and AMF inoculated) was used. Soil from the cocoa rhizosphere was collected and the wet sieving, decantation, and sucrose centrifugation techniques were used for the isolation of AMF. Rhizophagus irregularis was identified using the morphological method. The identified inoculum was prepared using the trap culture technique. K levels with AMF recorded the highest plant height (50.27 cm) than the non-AMF seedlings (41.4 cm). 2 g K × AMF in V1 and V2 had the highest (p < 0.05) above-ground (5.13 g) and below-ground (2.81 g) biomass, respectively. At 24 months, V1 × 0 g and V3 × 4 g without AMF had mortality of 60% and 50%, respectively, while V1 × 4 g and V2 × 2 g with AMF had 2% mortality rate. In conclusion, this has implications for cocoa nutrient management, yield, and climate-smart strategies for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 13 (climate Action).

Effect of foliar application with PRO-SOL and humic acid on some growth and chemical characteristics of sour orange (Citrus aurantium) seedlings.

This study was carried out on six months old sour orange (Citrus aurantium) seedlings in the lath house/ Agriculture College/AL-Qasim Green University in Babylon province, Iraq, from March 2020 to October 2020 with aim of investigating the impact of spraying PRO-SOL fertilizer (0.0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5) gm.L-1 and Humic acid (HA) (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0) gm.L-1 independently or in combination on the vegetative and chemical characteristics of sour orange seedlings. In 2021, a factorial experiment with three replications was conducted on local sour orange seedlings. The findings indicated that spraying with PRO-SOL fertilizer at a concentration of (4.5 gm.L-1) and HA (3 gm.L-1) promoted the seedling growth indices(the height of the plant, diameter of stem, number of leaves, and area of leaf), chemical parameters (chlorophyll and carbohydrate percent) also the leaf mineral content of N, P, and K. Keywords: PRO-SOL; HA; Foliar spray; Citrus aurantium seedling; lathhouse; Organic fertilizer.

Unraveling the new member Bacillus pumilus SH-9 of Bacillaceae family and its potential role in seed biopriming to mitigate drought stress in Oryza sativa

Rice is an important cereal crop cultivated worldwide to meet the need of hungry populations. Drought stress is a major problem that reduces crop productivity by up to 50 %. Beneficial microbes have the potential to mitigate drought stress in various crops. The use of beneficial microorganisms in seed biopriming techniques enhances germination potential through the production of antioxidants and phytohormones. In this study, the novel bacterial strain SH-9 was isolated and screened for various biological and stress tolerance assays. SH-9 exhibited plant growth-promoting characteristics such as abscisic acid production (2.18 ± 0.05 ng/ml), phosphate solubilization index (4.69 ± 0.30), and sucrose production (0.72 ± 0.05 mg/ml). The oxidative stress tolerance assay also revealed remarkable production of the antioxidant molecules catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Germination metrics were also measured through seed biopriming in the experimental plant (Oryza sativa) treated with SH-9. Surprisingly, SH-9 was found to be significantly drought-tolerant as it could tolerate drought up to 35 % PEG 6000. Seed biopriming enhanced the germination potential by up to 90 % and improved the seed vigor index, germination energy, and germination rate index. It also improved the seedling characteristics of rice compared with the control group. This study demonstrated that SH-9 has excellent potential to enhance the germination metrics even under stress. Molecular identification revealed that SH-9 is a new member of the Bacillaceae family with the gene accession number ON753949. Overall, it is expected that further research on seed biopriming employing SH-9 strain in plants will lead to this technique being employed as a form of sustainable management in agriculture.

Effects of drought on non-structural carbohydrates and C, N, and P stoichiometric characteristics of Pinus yunnanensis seedlings

Effects of drought on non-structural carbohydrates and C, N, and P stoichiometric characteristics of Pinus yunnanensis seedlings

Estimation of genetic variability and correlation coefficients of different salinity levels in mungbean genotypes

For this study eight mungbean genotypes viz., ADT 2, BM-2002-1, ML 5, AKM 4, Vishal, Vamban, TARM 1 and Utkarsh were used. Observation were taken on seven seedling characters and 7 quantitative characters. Statistical analysis of the seedling and quantitative characters showed that the PCV was higher than that of GCV for all the characters studied. Highest GCV and PCV were expressed by seedling shoot dry weight at 6 dSm-1 salinity level followed by seedling shoot fresh weight at 6 dSm-1, indicating that variation among the genotypes was highest for these traits. The PCV and GCV values were lowest in germination percentage followed by the shoot length at control. Among the growth characters heritability (broad sense) was found to range from 41.57 % to 100 % in control, while in salinity levels broad sense heritability ranged from 50 % to 100 %. Under control, heritability was high for all characters except for germination percentage, shoot length and plant height. While in salinity condition, it was high for all characters except for number of pods/plant at 6 dsm-1 salinity level. The genetic advance was high in nature only for the germination percentage whereas, the remaining character revealed low GA estimates. The maximum genetic advance in percent of mean (GAMP) was obtained for seedling shoot dry weight followed by seedling root dry weight at 6 dsm-1 and the lowest was for plant height followed by germination percentage at control. The study revealed that all the 14 characters were positively correlated with each other. For all the characters, the genotypic correlation was at higher level than the phenotypic correlation. Four elite genotypes were found to be superior based on the mean performance namely Utkarsh, TARM 1, Vamban and Vishal among the various levels of salinity.

Effects of increased seeding density on seedling characteristics, mechanical transplantation quality, and yields of rice with crop straw boards for seedling cultivation

The high demand for labor during rice seedling cultivation and transplantation poses a major challenge in advancing machine-transplanted rice cultivation. This problem may be solved by increasing the seeding rate during seedling production while reducing the number of seedling trays. In this study, the commonly used combination of 150 g/tray with a 20-day seedling age in rice production was used as CK. Besides, some field experiments were conducted under seedling age conditions of 10 and 15 days from 2021 to 2022 to explore the effects of 250, 300, and 350 g/tray on the seedling quality, mechanical transplantation quality, yields, and economic benefits of rice. The cultivation of seedlings under a high seeding rate and short seedling age significantly affected seedling characteristics, but there was no significant difference in seedling vitality compared to CK. The minimum number of rice trays used in the experiment was observed in the treatment of 350-10, only 152-155 trays per hectare, resulting in a 62% reduction in the number of trays needed. By increasing the seeding rate of rice, missed holes during mechanical transplantation decreased by 2.8 to 4%. The highest yields and economic gains were achieved by the treatment of 300-15. These results indicated that using crop straw boards can reduce the application of seedling trays. On that basis, the yield of rice can be increased by increasing the seeding rate and shortening the seedling age of rice under the premise of ensuring seedling quality.

Effect of Spraying with Triacontanol and Adding Humic acid on the Chemical Content of Pear Seedlings Pyrus Cimmunis L. Cv. Le-Conte

This study was conducted at the research station of the College of Agriculture, Anbar University in 2022 to investigate the effect of foliar application of triacontanol at concentrations of 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg L−1, symbolized by T0, T1, T2, and T3, respectively, and the addition of humic acid to the soil at concentrations of 0, 25, and 50 mg L−1, symbolized by H0, H1, and H2, respectively, on some chemical growth characteristics of Le-conte pear seedlings. The results showed significant differences among the treatments, where the addition of the growth regulator triacontanol at treatment T3 (100 mg L−1) resulted in a significant superiority in the carbohydrate content the leaves (6.18%), nitrogen content the branches (2.207%), nitrogen content the leaves (1.937%), carbohydrate content the branches (13.378%), phosphorus content in the branches (0.367%), and phosphorus content the leaves (0.347%). On the other hand, the effect of humic acid showed significant superiority at treatment H2 (50 mg L−1) in the carbohydrate content the leaves (5.49%), nitrogen content the branches (2.160%), nitrogen content the leaves (1.908%), carbohydrate content the branches (12.858%), phosphorus content the branches (0.341%), and phosphorus content the leaves (0.338%). the results showed that the interaction between the study factors was significant, with superiority of the treatment T3H2 in all the studied characteristics.

Effect of Adding Organic Fertilizer and Humic Acid on some Vegetative and Root Growth Characteristics of Fig Seedlings, Diyala Black Cultivar

This study was conducted at the research station of the College of Agriculture - University of Anbar during the 2022 growing season. To study the effect of adding organic fertilizer (poultry waste) at levels (0, 0.5, 1 kg seedlings−1), which is symbolized by (A0, A1, A2) respectively, and humic acid in levels (0,250,500 ml L−1), which is symbolized by (B0, B1, B2) respectively, in some characters of vegetative, root and chemical growth of fig seedlings of Aswad Diyala cultivar. The results showed that the addition of organic fertilizer at level of 1 kg seedlings-1 outperformed and led to a significant increase in plant height (36.89 cm), main root length (27.83 cm), leaf content of total chlorophyll (63.10 mg 100 g−1 fresh weight), leaf content of nitrogen (2.080%), leaf content of phosphorus (0.450%), leaf content of potassium (3.389%), leaves content of carbohydrates (35.88%). The study showed the significant superiority of humic acid at level B2 (500 ml L−1) on the rate of increase in plant height (31.22 cm), main root length (27.16 cm), leaf content of total chlorophyll (58.00 mg 100g−1 fresh weight), leaf nitrogen content (2.053%) The leaf content of phosphorous (0.444%), the leaf content of potassium (3.379%), the leaves content of carbohydrate (35.87%). Also, the two-way interactions between the study factors had a significant effect on most of the studied traits.

Sol-Gel-Derived Functional Coatings for Pre-Sowing Seed Treatment

The superatomic structure of film-forming sols obtained by the acid hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in an aqueous medium (free of organic solvents) was studied using the SAXS method. The formation of nanoparticles (NPs) was confirmed in alcohol-free silica sols with both a low (1 vol. %) content of TEOS and a high (10 vol. %) content of TEOS, hydrolyzed in an aqueous-alcoholic medium. A trimodal size distribution was revealed for the resulting NPs, with radii ranging from less than 1 nm to ~11 nm. The volume fraction of NPs tends to grow with increases in TEOS concentration, as well as with the introduction of magnetic NPs of iron oxides into silica sols. The synthesized silica sols and suspensions based on silica sols with FexOy NPs were used for the pre-sowing treatment of white and cauliflower cabbage seeds in order to provide a functional coating on their surfaces, thereby improving seed germination, stimulating their growth in the early stages of development, and suppressing the effect of phytopathogens. The effect of the pre-sowing seed treatment in sol-gel compositions on seed germination and the growth characteristics of plant seedlings is analyzed, including the influence of iron-oxide magnetic NPs’ compositions and concentrations in silica sols.