Nano-enabled agriculture: effects of graphene on the development of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypes

Nano-enabled agriculture: effects of graphene on the development of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum) genotypesMurat OLGUN 1, Suat PAT 2, Murat ARDIÇ 3, Okan SEZER *3ORCID: 0000-0001-6981-4545; 0000-0001-9301-8880; 0000-0001-8734-3038; 0000-0001-7304-13461 Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Agricultural Faculty, Field Crop Department, 26040 Eskişehir, Türkiye2 Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, 26040 Eskişehir, Türkiye3 Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 26040 Eskişehir, Türkiye AbstractThis study investigates the effects of graphene oxide (GO) seed coating on the morphological, physiological, and spectral characteristics of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes. Six wheat genotypes (Nacibey, Rumeli, KateA, Ekiz, Esperia, Ahmetağa, and Sönmez) were used, comparing graphene-coated seeds with a control group. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications, measuring plant growth parameters (root, stem, and leaf traits) as well as spectral indices (NDVI, OSAVI, PRI, SIPI) and SPAD values. The results demonstrated that graphene coating significantly improved morphological traits, particularly leaf height, root and leaf weight, as well as physiological parameters such as SPAD and NDVI. Increases in spectral indices indicated enhanced plant health and photosynthetic efficiency. Among the genotypes, Ekiz, Sönmez, and Nacibey showed the highest performance, with genotype-specific responses to graphene application. For instance, the Ekiz genotype exhibited superior photosynthetic efficiency, while Sönmez displayed notable advantages in root and leaf weight. The study highlights graphene as an innovative approach to improving crop yield and plant health in agriculture but emphasizes the critical importance of optimal dosage and genotype selection. Future research should explore the effects of graphene under different environmental conditions and its integration into sustainable farming practices. Keywords: graphene oxide, seed coating, wheat genotypes, spectral indices