Effect of Nano Zinc Oxide Seed Treatment on Physiological Growth and Biophysical Traits and Seed Quality of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]

The field experiment was conducted at Seed Technology Research Center, Department of Plant breeding and Genetics, JNKVV-Jabalpur Kharif-2021. Growth analytical attributes studies indicated superior performance of seed treatment with nano-ZnO @500mg L-1 for LAI @60 DAS (days after sowing), @70 DAS, @80 DAS, LAD, CGR, RGR and BMD w.r.t. 24.26%, 21.39%, 28.50%, 12.09%, 21.42%, 20.17% and 20.56% enhancement over control. Varietal studies revealed superior performance of variety JS 20-116 for LAI, LAD, CGR, RGR and BMD. Biophysical parameters studies revealed superior performance of seed treatment with nano –ZnO @500mg L-1 for chlorophyll content index and energy interception with 5.19% and 26.51% enhancement over control respectively. With respect to variety superior performance of variety JS-20-116 for chlorophyll content index and energy interception. Seed quality parameters studies indicated superior performance of seed treatment with nano–ZnO @500mg L-1 for final plant stand, germination, and seed vigour index I and seed vigour index II with respect to 29.16%, 14.11%, 26.40% and 21.43% enhancement over control. With respect to variety, superior performance of variety JS-20-116 for final plant stand, and seed vigour index I and seed vigour index II and JS 20-34 for seed germination. This results justifies that the seed treatment with nano formulation in the form of ZnO @ 500mg L-1 will improve growth analytical attributes, physiological efficiency and seed quality of the soybean. Hence the seed treatment with nano-ZnO @500mg L-1 is recommended to farmers for maximum productivity, physiological efficiency and sowing seed quality.