Regulation of morphometric parameters of winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) using graphene oxide under water stress

The problem of food security due to extreme climate change is critical in Europe and globally, and its solution is one of the sustainable development goals, as the amount of precipitation decreases annually, and the average annual temperature increases, which leads to the spread of droughts, lengthening rainless periods, and complicates the cultivation of crops. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of structured graphene oxide nanoparticles during pre-sowing treatment of winter barley seeds (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties ‘Dostoynyi’ of morphometric parameters of plants in conditions of water deficiency. Chemical, physical, and physiological methods were applied. The effect of graphene oxide at concentrations of 5, 10, 20, and 50 micrograms/ml on the morphometric parameters of winter barley was studied 17 days after seed treatment under conditions of regular watering and water stress. No phytotoxic effect of graphene oxide on barley seedlings with regular watering was detected. Pre-sowing treatment of seeds with graphene oxide at a concentration of 5 micrograms/ml showed a maximum increase in root length (by 35%) and plant height (by 23%) with water deficiency compared to the control. At other concentrations studied, plant growth was also stimulated, but the effect was less pronounced. The weight of plants at optimal concentrations of graphene oxide increased slightly, and with water deficiency, the increase was minimal. Graphene oxide effectively improved the development of the barley root system in conditions of water scarcity, which is important for plant adaptation to drought. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the results obtained substantiate the feasibility of using nanoparticles as an effective agricultural technology to increase the stress resistance of agricultural crops to water scarcity