EFFECT OF SEED PRIMING OF GREEN SYNTHESIZED IRON OXIDE MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES USING Salvinia molesta PLANT EXTRACT ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLINGS GROWTH OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum)

Biotechnology

An aqueous plant extract of Salvinia molesta was used as a bio-reductant, stabilizer, and capping agent to synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles. The formation of iron oxide nanoparticles was observed upon exposure of the aqueous plant extract to the ferric chloride solution, and the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometry, showing a sharp peak at 300 nm due to the surface plasmon resonance. Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed the formation of nanoparticles with an average size of 82 nm. The study investigated the effect of synthesized iron nanoparticles on seed germination and seedling growth by priming tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds at different concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 ppm.The experimental design was a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 replicates. The results showed that the synthesized iron nanoparticles exhibited a biphasic effect on seed germination, root length, shoot length, and fresh weight of seedlings. According to statistical analysis by one-way ANOVA and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test, 100 ppm (78.62381 ± 43.89327) showed significant (p< 0.0001, F = 5.571 ) seed vigor index compared to the control group of 0 ppm (54.68049 ± 36.93168).The possible mechanisms underlying the effects induced by iron nanoparticles for seed priming, including their role in promoting seed germination and influencing primary and secondary metabolic processes, were thoroughly examined. These mechanisms encompass various biological phenomena such as programmed cell death, the generation of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, reduced transpiration rates, enhanced lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, and enzyme activity loss. It is recommended to conduct future studies to focus on investigating the effects of FeO NPs within the concentration range of 50 ppm to 500 ppm. This range appears to be particularly promising based on the observed biphasic effect on the seed vigor index in the current study.

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