Nanofertilizers benefited maize to cope oxidative stress under saline environment

Abstract

Nano-fertilizers with higher efficacy compared to conventional fertilizers, offer significant advantages for crop cultivation in both productive and marginal soils. This study aimed to assess the effects of nano and conventional fertilizers on maize plants grown under normal and saline soil conditions (10 dSm⁻¹). ZnO and SiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) has been synthesized in the lab and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy before the plant experiment. The treatments included i.e. control, conventional Zn, conventional Si, nano Zn and nano Si, under both non-saline and saline soil conditions. The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions and various physiological, agronomic and biochemical analyses were performed. Results revealed that nano Zn and Si significantly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, APX) under saline conditions along with growth parameters. Specifically, nano Si reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 41 % and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content by more than half under saline conditions, while nano Zn showed significant reductions in both oxidative stress markers. Higher proline content, proteins, relative water and chlorophyll content in plants treated with nano fertilizers demonstrated improved osmoregulation, metabolic homeostasis as well as maintaining water balance and photosynthetic efficiency under stress conditions. This suggests that nano fertilizers can me more effective in improving crop resilience and productivity under salinity stress.