Journal Article

Investigating the effect of foliar spraying of zinc nanoparticles and biostimulants on modulating the effect of water deficit stress in sugar beet by using Integrated Biomarker Response Version 2

Sharafi, Soran, Yazdan Seta, Saman, Hamze, Hamze, Mahmoodi, Toraj Mir, Nikzad, Shahnaz

2025

Overview

The effects of foliar applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles and various biostimulants were studied to alleviate water stress in sugar beet. The experiment used a split-split-plot layout based on a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications over two growing seasons (2022–2024). The main plot consisted of two irrigation levels: Irrigation after 60 and 120 mm of evaporation was considered normal irrigation (WW) and water deficit stress (WD). Zinc nanoparticle (ZnO-NPs) levels (control, 0.2, and 0.4 mg L −1 ) were assigned to subplots, and biostimulants (control, chitosan, proline, and chitosan + proline) were assigned to sub-subplots. The results shoewd under WD conditions foliar spraying of 4 mg L −1 of ZnO-NPs increased the chlorophyll b content (22.85%), carotenoid (9.58%), proline content (18.42%), beta-glycine (13.20%), stomatal conductance (33.53%), gibberellin (GA) (9.09%), cytokinin (CK) (13.07%), catalase enzyme activity (CAT) (7.86%), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (25.56%), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) (5.34%), and root yield (RY) (10.48%) and decreased abscisic acid (ABA) (11.24%), malondialdehyde (MAD) (17.33%), and hydrogen peroxide (17.18%) compared to the control. Among biostimulants treatments, application of chitosan + proline under WD conditions increased the content of chlorophyll a (37.44%), chlorophyll b (16.23%), proline (4.87%), beta-glycine (18.09%), GA (7.00%), auxin (IAA) (35.40%), CK (18.03%), CAT (11.42%), APX (19.6%), and RY (11.46%) compared to control, and decreased the content of ABA (24.16%), MAD (9.03%), and hydrogen peroxide (11.50%). In this experiment, the combination of 2 mg L -1 ZnO-NPs with chitosan and proline exhibited a synergistic effect, increasing the content of chlorophyll a and b, relative water content (RWC), SOD, and RY, while reducing ABA. The lowest IBRv2 values were recorded for control + proline, control + chitosan, 2 mg L −1 ZnO-NPs + Control, 4 mg L −1 ZnO-NPs + Control, and 4 mg L −1 ZnO-NPs + Proline treatments. 4 mg L −1 ZnO-NPs + chitosan + proline (I = 0.803) and 4 mg L −1 ZnO-NPs + proline (I = 0.809) showed the smallest increases in MAD content. In terms of RY, the least decrease was observed in the treatments of 4 mg L −1 ZnO-NPs + Chitosan and Proline (I = − 0.492) and 4 mg L −1 ZnO-NPs + Proline (I = − 1.014).

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 631/449 / 631/45 / 631/61 / Abiotic stress / Abscisic acid / Agricultural production / Agriculture / Antioxidant enzymes / Antioxidants / Ascorbic acid / Beta vulgaris / Beta vulgaris - drug effects / Beta vulgaris - growth & development / Beta vulgaris - metabolism / Beta vulgaris - physiology / Biomarkers - metabolism / Chitosan / Chitosan - pharmacology / Chlorophyll / Chlorophyll - metabolism / Crops / Cytokinins / Dehydration / Drought / Enzymatic activity / Enzymes / Foliar applications / Gibberellins / Growing season / Humanities and Social Sciences / Hydrogen peroxide / Indoleacetic acid / Integrated Biomarker Response version 2 (IBRv2) / Investigations / Irrigation / Irrigation water / L-Ascorbate peroxidase / Metal Nanoparticles - administration & dosage / Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry / multidisciplinary / Nanoparticles / Oxidative stress / Performance evaluation / Physiology / Plant growth / Plant Leaves - drug effects / Plant Leaves - metabolism / Proline / Proline - metabolism / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Spraying / Stomata / Stomatal conductance / Stress, Physiological - drug effects / Sugar / Superoxide dismutase / Synergistic effect / Water / Water - metabolism / Water content / Water deficit / Water deficit stress / Water shortages / Water stress / Zinc - chemistry / Zinc - pharmacology / Zinc oxide / Zinc Oxide - pharmacology / Zinc oxide nanoparticle / Zinc oxides