Nano-Ferric Oxide Promotes Watermelon Growth

Abstract

With the rapid growing of nanotechnology, the effects of nanomaterials released into the environment on plants have drawn more and more attention. Iron is an element essential for plant growth and development. Iron is involved in chlorophyll formation; iron deficiency will cause a plant disorder known as chlorosis. However, whether iron in nano-ferric oxide can be absorbed by plants were rarely concerned. Nano-ferric oxide might promote the growth and development of plants in a suitable concentration. An experiment was designed to evaluate whether nano-ferric oxide can be used to treat chlorosis and the physiological changes of plants in nano-ferric oxide environment. Watermelon was chosen as the experimental plant. Seedlings of watermelon plants were grown in full nutrient solution without iron for 2 weeks until the leaves got yellow. Then the seedlings were treated with different concentrations of nano-ferric oxide (0, 20, 50, 100 mg/L) and 50 mmol/L of EDTA-Fe(II) for a month. The control group seedlings were still grown in full nutrient solution without any iron. Indicators such as activity of antioxidase like superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) and content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and soluble protein were studied to measure the physiological effects nano-ferric oxide might have on watermelon. It was observed that the leaves reverted green. Experimental data showed that watermelon absorbed iron from nano-ferric oxide, and nano-ferric oxide promoted watermelon growth in some ways in a suitable concentration.