ZnO Nanofertilizer and He Ne Laser Irradiation for Promoting Growth and Yield of Sweet Basil Plant

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of zinc nanoparticle strategy alone and with accombination of pre-sowing He Ne laser irradiation on the yield of sweet basil plants in terms of plant growth, as well as levels of active essential oil constituents. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized, and transmission electron micrography revealed particle size of approximately 10.5-15.5 nm. ZnO NPs were applied to sweet basil plants by foliar spray at varying concentrations (10, 20 and 30 mg/L); He-Ne laser of power 3mW was used for red light irradiation of Ocimum basilicum seeds for 2 min. exposure time. Total chlorophyll, total carbohydrate, essential oil levels, zinc content, plant height, branches/plant, leaves/plant, fresh weight and dry weight were measured. ; In general the combined application of ZnO NPs foliar spray with pre-sowing He Ne laser irradiation showing more effectiveness than ZnO NPs alone and 20mg/L concentration gave the highest results of all measured traits. Statistical analysis (t-test) showed significant differences among the effects of the various concentrations of NPs on these attributes. Our results showed an inverse relationship between total carbohydrate content and the percentage of essential oil in leaves. Together these findings support the usefulness and effectiveness of zinc oxide nanoparticle and laser irradiation treatment of plants to enhance growth and yield of sweet basil plants. Word Patent should be mentioned in Abstract