Exploring the Potential of Foliar Nano Zinc Oxide Application on Wheat Cultivation in Zinc Deficient Inceptisol

Abstract

Nanoparticles exhibit size-associated properties that are significantly different from regular sized-materials. These particles can be synthesized by physical, chemical, and biological processes. Due to their small size, NPs have a much larger surface area compared to their unprocessed counterparts, which gives them a wide range of potential applications in the field of agriculture. A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2024-25 at Post Graduate Instructional farm, College of Agriculture, Pune to study the effect of foliar application of nano zinc oxide on growth, yield and quality of wheat in Inceptisol. The foliar application of nano ZnO @300, 600, 900 and 1200 ppm was compared with the foliar spray of 1200 ppm EDTA Zn at 45 and 65 days after sowing. The recommended fertilizer dose was common to all treatments except absolute control treatment. The size, surface structure and topology of zinc oxide nanoparticles were disclosed by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). A randomized block design (RBD) with analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to assess treatment effects on all studied characteristics. The findings of the present investigation revealed that the chlorophyll content (15.63 mg g-1 at 50 DAS and 23.29 mg g-1 at 70 DAS fresh leaf tissue weight) and leaf zinc concentration (14.15 mg kg-1 at 50 DAS and 17.21 mg kg-1 at 70 DAS) were significantly higher for the application of GRDF + foliar spray of 1200 ppm nano-ZnO. The application of GRDF + foliar spray of 1200 ppm nano-ZnO recorded significantly higher plant height (91.10 cm), number of tillers per square meter (263.67), number of grains per spikelet (42.9), grain yield (43.53 q ha-1) and straw yield (60.15 q ha-1) over other treatments. The balanced nutrient supply with nano zinc oxide provided essential nutrients throughout different growth stages of wheat offering an initial nutrient boost and ensuring a sustained release of nutrients throughout the growing season. This improved the total chlorophyll content, increased leaf zinc concentration, contributed to higher plant height, higher number of tillers per square meter and higher number of grains per spikelet.  The foliar sprays of nano zinc oxide significantly enhanced growth and yield of wheat, along with improving soil nutrient status and nutrient uptake, indicating their potential as sustainable alternatives over conventional micronutrient fertilizers in zinc deficient Inceptisol.