Assessing Germination Response of Wheat and Wild Oat to Different Levels of ZnO Nanoparticles

Introduction: These days, researchers are trying to develop an efficient production technology based on the innovative techniques to increase seedling vigour and plant establishment through physical seed treatments. Seed germination is an important phenomenon in modern agriculture because it is a thread of life of plants that guarantees its survival. Nanotechnology has emerged as an innovative technology for the elaboration and use of new nanomaterials in the industry and many fields of research. It opens up a wide array of opportunities in various fields like medicine, pharmaceuticals, electronics and agriculture. Nanotechnology has the potential to protect plants, monitor plant growth, detect plant and animal diseases, increase global food production, enhance food quality, and reduce waste for “sustainable intensification”(Chandra Rath et al, 2017). Zinc (Zn) is an essential nutrient required by all living organisms. It has been considered as an essential micronutrient for metabolic activities in plants and animals. Zinc has important functions in the synthesis of auxin or indole acetic acid (IAA) from tryptophan as well as in biochemical reactions required for formation of chlorophyll and carbohydrates. It also regulates the functions of stomata by retaining potassium content of protective cells. The crop yield and quality of produce can be affected by deficiency of Zn (Pandey et al., 2006). Zinc oxide (nano-ZnO) is commonly used metal oxide engineered nanoparticle. It is used in a range of applications such as sunscreens and other personal care products, electrodes and biosensors, photocatalysis and solar cells. Seed is an important stage of plant life history. Most invasive plants primarily rely on seedling recruitment for population establishment and persistence. Rapid spread of many invasive plants is frequently correlated with special seed traits. Seed trait variations exist not only among species but also within species. Seed traits variations within a species are essential for seedling establishment at different habitats (Grundy et al., 1996). Germination of various plants has a different response to nanoparticles. Application of nanoparticles that have a positive effect on germination and growth of crop and a negative effect on weed can be useful in weed control. Materials and Methods: In order to study the effect of different concentrations of ZnO on germination characteristics of wild oat and two genotypes of wheat, an experiment was conducted