Effect of Different Nano-NPK Fertilizers on Vegetative Growth Parameter and Soil Microbial Activity of Fig Crop under Different Irrigation Regims

Abstract

World face several challenges the most decisive climatic changes , freshwater poverty and poor usage efficiency for natural resources (soil & water) particularly in developing countries. Applying Nanotechnology may represent a smart mechanism toward sustainable agricultural. Much efforts have been exerted to utilizing nano-technology and producing agro-chemicals in nano-form i.e, nano-fertilizers and nano-pesticides. Current work that carried out in greenhouse belong pomology department , National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt during 2020/2021, aims to assessing impact of nano-fertilizers on growth performance and soil microbial activity under different drought stress levels. NPK-nano-fetrilizer was applied on uniform one-year old fig seedlings,  as foliar application at two levels (200 and 400ppm) compared with traditional NPK fertilizer, under three levels of water regimes (once, twice and three times irrigation weekly. Obtained results indicated that under drought stress nano-fertilizers enhanced fig seedlings growth performance and nutrient content. Moreover, nano-fertilizer raised antioxidant enzyme activity that work on scavenging active oxygen species and thereby reinforce drought stress tolerance in plants. Besides, nano-fertilizer had a positive impact on soil microbial under low soil moisture. This study came in chain of studies which proved the efficiency of nano-fertilizer under drought stress with no negative impact on environments under this study conditions.  This study concluded that nano-fertilizer has a bright future particularly under challenges that face the world (climatic changes, poverty of water resources, soil degradation and global food famine risk with fast growing of population)   toward sustainable agriculture  with low risk on environment.