Growth and yield performance of drought-stressed soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L.) treated with neem-mediated silver nanoparticles

The utilization of nanotechnology in agriculture has demonstrated significant potential, particularly in enhancing crop resilience to environmental stress. This study investigated the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in seed treatment on soybean performance under drought conditions. The study used a factorial CRD with four replicates. The experimental factors included seed treatments (control, AgNP priming, and AgNP coating) and drought stress levels represented by the field water capacity (FWC) of 80%, 60%, and 40%. The results demonstrated that seed treatment with AgNPs significantly increased plant growth in AgNP coatings based on plant height but did not significantly increase all soybean yield variables. FWC of 40-60% showed severe and moderate stress effects on soybean, which significantly decreased the leaf number but increased the leaf green index. In conclusion, AgNP seed treatment had a limited effect on soybean production but could be a potential approach to enhance drought tolerance.