Graphene Oxide Effect on the Wheat Plant (Triticum aestivum) under Different Application and Concentration Techniques

Abstract

Graphene-based nanomaterial's, with unique chemical and physical properties, are increasingly used in agriculture, raising questions about their impact on soil, plant growth, and nutritional conditions. The purpose of this study is to investigate wheat plant development in response to various GO application strategies and amounts, as well as to track chemical changes in soil nutrients. So, a pot experiment was conducted to examine how Graphene oxide (GO) affects macronutrient and micronutrient uptake by wheat plants at the booting growth stage and the nutritional status of clay soil. Soil samples were collected at the farm of the Agricultural Research Centre in Egypt's. The experiment applied the treatment in three ways (soaking, soil application, and foliar application) and tested five different amounts of nanocarbon (0, 100, 200, 400, and 600 mg L⁻¹) for soaking and soil application. For the foliar treatment, we used different doses (0, 10, 20, 40, and 60 mg L-1). Each treatment was repeated three times in a randomized design. The results indicated that the amount of chlorophyll pigments (A, B, and carotene) in wheat leaves changed a lot depending on how GO was applied and how much was used. Furthermore, GO influences wheat plant growth (fresh and dry weight) relative to controls. The wheat crop responded to a high soaking dosage of 600 mg L⁻¹, with analogous effects noted when 400 mg L⁻¹ of GO was applied to the soil. Moreover, foliar application of GO at 10 mg L⁻¹ improved shoot and root development in wheat plants under both wet and dry circumstances. When wheat shoots and roots were given different ways and amounts of GO nanoparticles, they consistently absorbed important nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc, and copper. Finally, soaking wheat grains at high concentrations is safe. While soil treatment is safe at concentrations up to 400 mg L-1, GO foliar spray for plants is only effective at a concentration of 10 mg L-1, and other tested doses harm wheat development.