Enhancement of Rice Zinc Content Using Green Synthesized ZnO-NPs by Foliar and Nano-Priming Applications

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) can enhance zinc bioavailability in plants, improving crop nutritional quality and addressing global zinc deficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), obtained by a green synthesis method, on the growth, yield parameters, and zinc content of rice plants. In the study, two different application strategies of ZnO-NPs on rice plants were evaluated, i.e., foliar spray and seed priming. To compare the effects of these application strategies, rice plants were treated with ZnO-NPs at two different concentrations, 25 mg/L and 50 mg/L. Effects of ZnO-NPs on plant growth (shoot and root length, fresh and dry mass), chlorophyll and carotenoid content, grain yield and zinc content were investigated. The results showed that both ZnO-NP application methods increased rice growth and yield, especially the combined method (seed priming + foliar spray) provided the highest efficiency. It was observed that seed zinc content was increased up to 10% by seed priming method and foliar spray application increased the zinc content up to 23% while the combination of seed priming and foliar spray increased zinc content up to 122%. In general, applications at 50 mg/L concentration increased more than 25 mg/L. These results indicate that ZnO-NPs can be an effective tool for zinc deficiency management in agricultural practices and can improve the yield and nutritional content of staple foods such as rice.

Journal

APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

Year

2025

Volume

197

Issue

3

Pages

1906-1922

ISSN

0273-2289

eISSN

1559-0291

DOI

10.1007/s12010-024-05127-7

WoS UID

WOS:001368846700001