Foliar Applications of ZnO and Its Nanoparticles Increase Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Growth and Yield under Water Stress

Abstract

Foliar application or minerals is a methodology to promote growth and/or yield and to protect plants against different kinds of stresses. Currently there is a great interest in evaluating the effect of nanoparticles for enhancing the effect of these treatments. This study was performed to evaluate and compare the effect of foliar application of zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on the growth and yield of safflower under different irrigation regimes. Foliar applications of ZnO in all concentrations (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 g L−1) led to an increase in biomass yield, number of capitula per plant, number of seeds per capitulum, and grain yield of plants compared with control plants. The maximum increase in the studied traits was obtained with a ZnO concentration of 6, 8, and 10 g L−1. In a second round of experiments, we observed the effect of nanoparticles and found that spraying with ZnO and ZnO-NPs at a concentration of 10 g L−1 may ameliorate the deleterious effects of water deficit. The results of the present study support the idea that foliar application of ZnO improves safflower yield, especially under drought stress, and showed that using of nanoparticles increases the efficiency of the application.

The effect of different fertilisers and planting patterns on the fatty acid profile of safflower oil

“…It seems that iron and zinc play a key role in the biosynthesis of short and saturated fatty acids. This result supports the ideas of Ghiyasi et al (2023), who described the positive effects of foliar application of nano zinc oxide on the performance of safflower in a similar agro-climatic region. The analysis of short and saturated fatty acids such as lauric acid (12:0) indicated a significant effect of fertiliser treatments and planting patterns on the content of these fatty acids.…”

Zn Supplementation Mitigates Drought Effects on Cotton by Improving Photosynthetic Performance and Antioxidant Defense Mechanisms

“…The notable improvements in cotton growth and the shoot and root biomass of Zn-supplemented plants supported that exogenous Zn played a crucial role in enhancing cotton’s resilience to drought stress. Improvements of the plant’s growth and biomass under water-stress conditions upon the application of ZnO [ 27 ] and ZnSO 4 [ 21 ] were also reported in H. annuus . Interestingly, the current study found that ZnSO 4 -supplemented plants thrived and generated more shoot and root biomass than ZnO-supplemented plants did in both stress and non-stress situations ( Figure 1 A–F).…”

“…For instance, zinc sulfate (ZnSO 4 ) application increased the tolerances of cotton ( G. hirsutum ) to heat [ 20 ], sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ) to drought [ 21 ], and of maize ( Zea mays ) [ 22 ], eggplant ( Solanum melongena ) [ 23 ], rice ( Oryza sativa ) [ 24 ], and tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) to salinity [ 25 ]. On the other hand, zinc oxide application in the form of bulk (ZnO) or nano particles (ZnO-NPs) increased the tolerances of wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) to heat [ 26 ], sunflower [ 27 ], rice [ 28 ], and wheat to droughts [ 29 ], and of tomato [ 30 ] and lupine ( Lupinus termis ) to salinity [ 31 ]. These reports highlight the versatile use of Zn in plant abiotic stress management.…”

The Impact of Salinity on Crop Yields and the Confrontational Behavior of Transcriptional Regulators, Nanoparticles, and Antioxidant Defensive Mechanisms under Stressful Conditions: A Review

“…Nano-fertilizers improve product growth and performance while being environmentally friendly. Thus, molecular strategies using NPs can improve plant nutrition and stress resistance [ 136 ]. Nano-fertilizers increase nutrient-use efficiency, reduce chemical fertilizer environmental impact, and minimize fertilization frequency [ 137 ].…”

“…Zea mays [134] Foliar Zinc can increase wheat yield in alkaline soils [135]. A study examined how foliar ZnO and its nanoparticle treatments affected safflower growth and yield under various watering regimens [136]. ZnO foliar treatments increased safflower yield.…”