Effects of Different Levels of Iron Nanoparticles on Growth and Biomass Production of Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum L)

Abstract

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient involved in several physiological processes in plants, including photosynthesis, respiration, chlorophyll formation, and electron transport. However, the low availability of Fe in many soils can restrict plant growth and productivity. Nanotechnology has emerged as a potential approach for improving nutrient delivery because iron nanoparticles may provide a highly reactive and potentially more readily available source of Fe. The present study investigated the effect of different levels of iron nanoparticles on the growth of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.). Seeds were germinated and cultivated in 9-L pots, and plants were exposed to four levels of commercially obtained iron nanoparticles (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g), in addition to an untreated control. Each treatment consisted of 15 replicates, and plants were evaluated after 21 days. Shoot and root dry weights were used as indicators of plant biomass response. The results showed a clear increase in shoot biomass with increasing nano-iron level, with mean shoot dry weights of approximately 1.28, 3.24, 3.85, and 5.31 g at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g nano-iron, respectively. Root dry weight also increased progressively, reaching approximately 0.067, 0.102, 0.165, and 0.205 g at the corresponding treatment levels. Thus, the highest tested nano-iron level produced the greatest shoot and root biomass among the evaluated treatments. These findings suggest that iron nanoparticles may promote early vegetative growth of garden cress under the experimental conditions used. However, because nanoparticle composition, particle size, application concentration in mass per volume, and detailed statistical procedures were not documented in the available experimental record, further controlled experiments are required to establish the optimum dose and evaluate the physiological and environmental implications of nano-iron application.