Effect of foliar application of nano and micro iron oxide particles with D.G ADJUVANT and RCP-5 additive material on some physiological traits of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Introduction Iron (Fe) has a crucial biological role in human and plant growth. This micronutrient is a major player in chloroplast photosynthesis and enzymes. Although some enzymes, such as Fe-dependent superoxide dismutase, use molecular Fe as a cofactor directly, most proteins use Fe-containing factors. Various studies were carried out to understand the effect of nanoparticles on the growth of plants. Nano-particles have high reactivity because of the more specific surface area, more density of reactive areas, or increased reactivity of these areas on the particle surfaces. Sheykhbaglou et al. (2012) showed that application of nano-iron oxide particles increased soybean growth and yield than micro iron particles. Iron deficiency can be corrected by foliar application of iron more efficiently than the soil application of iron sources. To achieve maximum nutrient absorption via foliar applications, a fine mist application with spreading and wetting agents is desired. These agents provide quick wetting of plant tissue and more uniform coverage and as a result more absorption of solutions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of foliar application of nano and micro iron oxide particles with additive material on some physiological traits of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Materials and Methods This study was arranged as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications to investigate the effects of Fe nano particles (NP) and micro particles (MP) foliar application with additive material on some physiological traits of green bean at the Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University of Technology in 2012. Geographically, the site is located in Bastam (36° 29’E, 55° 57’N, 1366 m a.s.l.). The climate of this region is semi-arid. The first factor was foliar application of Fe in five levels (0, 0.25, and 0.5 g L−1; in two forms: NP and MP) and the second factor was additive materials in three levels (0, D.G ADJUVANT and RCP-5). The foliar application was performed 55 days after sowing in the beginning of flowering stage. At harvest, the plant characteristics namely leaf area index, height, pod and leaf iron, chlorophyll, carotenoid and protein were also registered. Statistical analyses of data were performed with statistical software MSTAT-C. Significant differences between means refer to the probability level of 0.05 by LSD test. Results and Discussion Results showed that leaf area index was not affected