Agronomic fortification of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using biosynthesized zinc nanoparticles

Research was carried out at the Green Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, with a specific emphasis on the biosynthesis of zinc nanoparticles using Pseudomonas and actinobacteria. The zinc nanoparticles were biosynthesized and characterized through UV-Visible spectroscopy, Particle Size Analyzer (PSA), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). After biosynthesis and characterization of the nanoparticles (NPs), a field study was conducted to fortify the wheat crop using biosynthesized zinc nanoparticles. In wheat seed priming @ 500 ppm and foliar spraying @ 500 ppm at panicle initiation stage with zinc nanoparticles biosynthesized through actinobacteria (T6) recorded significantly higher productive spikes per square meter (259.33 m-2), number of grains per spike (48.50), 1,000 grain weight (42.35 g), grain yield (46.75 q ha-1), straw yield (64.71 q ha-1), zinc content (grain 54.98 ppm and straw 65.75 ppm), zinc uptake (grain 257.03 g ha-1, straw 425.49 g ha-1 and total zinc uptake 682.52 g ha-1), net returns (₹ 63,746 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (2.49) which was on par with seed priming @ 500 ppm and foliar spraying @ 500 ppm at panicle initiation stage with zinc nanoparticles biosynthesized through Pseudomonas (T3) and commercial zinc nanoparticles (T9).