Influence of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnONPs), Seaweed Extract and Microbial Inoculation with Rhizobium on Faba Bean Nodulation, Yield, and Quantity

Currently, faba beans are farmed all over the world and are a mainstay of many people's diets that are rich in nutrients and health. The world's temperate zones' colder regions are where the crop is primarily farmed. To further enhance the nodulation traits, yield and its components, and nutritional status, the present study was conducted on faba bean plants (Vicia faba L.) in the experimental farm at Sids Agricultural Research Station, Beni-Suef Governorate, ARC, Egypt, for two consecutive seasons (2022/2023 and 2023/2024). Various treatments including microbial inoculation, seaweed extract, and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were applied alone and in combination. Additionally, the faba bean seeds were inoculated with a 250 g microbial inoculum before planting and sprayed with a foliar spray solution containing 1% seaweed extract and 50 ppm Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles twice during the growing period. The results showed that all treatments, either alone or combined, had a significant impact on the plant traits. The combined applications were found to be more effective than individual ones, with the triple application (microbial inoculation + seaweed extract + Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles) showing the most improvement in nodulation, yield, and seed quality of the faba bean plants. Therefore, it is advised to apply, under Middle Egypt conditions, a combination of 50 ppm of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, 1% of seaweed extract applied foliar, and 250 g of rhizobium microbiological inoculation.