Effect of chitosan nanoparticles either alone or loaded with NPK on growth and productivity of pea plants in the field.

Chitosan nanoparticles (CsNPs) have been used in many fields in life. Using CsNPs shows promising results in improving plant growth and productivity in agriculture. Chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized by polymerizing with methacrylic acid, then loaded with nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium, and sprayed on pea plants' leaves. Moreover, plants that received no treatment and those that received treatment with local chemical fertilizer (CF) and chitosan nanoparticles (CsNPs) were compared . In addition, all treatments were sprayed three times at 17, 24, and 31 days after planting.The results showed that loading chitosan nanoparticles with NPK produced more healthy plants than CsNPs alone or CF plants. Using chemical fertilizer produced pea plants under oxidative stress due to high H2O2 content and increased lipid peroxidation. The harvested pea seeds from the CsNPs-NPK treatment had a higher protein content compared to all other treated plants or the control group. These results suggest that chitosan nanoparticles loaded with NPK could be used as a foliar spray to produce more healthy crops and high-quality seeds.