EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF IRON ANDZINC NANOPARTICLES ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM L.) BUDNODE

The applications of nano-particles (NPs) in agriculture, such as nano-fertilizers, nano-insecticides, and nano-herbicides, are significantly impacted by their specific structure. In an experiment conducted at the College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, the presence of Fe and Zn nano-particles at different concentrations was investigated to promote the appearance and growth of sugarcane buds. The experiment was conducted using a Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD) method, with three replications of plant height at different concentrations of Fe NPs and Zn NPs. The results showed that high Zn concentrations, such as 75 and 100 mg L-1, significantly influenced germination-related characteristics, including minimum plant height. Sugarcane buds treated with Fe NPs at 50 mg L-1 and Zn NPs at 100 mg L-1 had the largest leaf area, while buds treated with Zn NPs at 50 mg L-1 had the minimum leaf-to-plant ratio. The topical application of Fe NPs and Zn NPs to sugarcane increased chlorophyll concentration and photosynthetic rate by 1.3 cm. The plant also showed the highest amount of zinc. At 100 mg L-1, the shoot Fe 6.9 concentration in Zn NPs was the highest. In conclusion, adding Zn and Fe nano-particles in amounts ranging from 100 mg L-1 to 50 mg L-1 significantly improved the growth and development of sugarcane bud nodes.