Harnessing green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles for enhancement of sweet corn yield and quality

Sweet corn (Zea mays var. saccharata), cherished globally for its sweet taste and nutritional richness, is sensitive to zinc availability-a key micronutrient vital for enzymatic activity, photosynthesis and kernel development. Despite its importance, zinc deficiency in agricultural soils remains a significant barrier to enhancing crop yield and nutritional quality. This study explores the efficacy of foliar-applied green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Moringa oleifera leaf extract in enhancing sweet corn yield and quality under field conditions at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during the Kharif season of 2024, employing a Randomized Block Design with seven treatments, varying ZnO NP concentrations from 100 to 600 ppm, applied at 40 and 60 days after sowing (DAS). The findings revealed that foliar application of ZnO NPs at 500 ppm significantly enhanced yield parameters, including cob weight (269.9 g), grain yield (10277 kg/ha), green cob yield (16195 kg/ha) and green fodder yield (16393 kg/ha) along with quality attributes such as total soluble solids (16.33 ºBrix), total sugars (12.07 %) and carbohydrate content (25.08 %). Enhanced zinc uptake (357.5 g/ha) and recovery efficiency (50.63 %) were also recorded. Correlation analysis also revealed strong positive associations between yield traits, such as cob weight, grain yield and green fodder yield, with zinc uptake and content in grains. These results underscore the potential of ZnO NPs in optimizing zinc bioavailability to bolster sweet corn yield and nutritional value and thereby positioning ZnO NPs as a promising and sustainable biofortification strategy.