Page 68 - EER-2-3

Explora: Environment

and Resource

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Impact of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide

nanoparticles on growth parameters of chickpeas
(Cicer arietinum L.)

Anuradha Navnath Karale , Bhavna Nigam 2 , and Indra Jeet Chaudhary *
1
1
1 Department of Environmental Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
2 School of Environment and Sustainable Development, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar,
Gujarat, India

Abstract

Agricultural productivity remains a fundamental concern for farmers and agricultural
scientists. Today, global food security is increasingly threatened by environmental
challenges and a rapidly growing population. Environmental stressors, such as
salinity, drought, heavy metals, ozone, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides have
increased crop yield losses. Various agricultural management practices and
techniques are being employed to reduce yield loss and minimize environmental
impact on plants. Among these, the application of nanoparticles, such as
nanofertilizers, nanoinsecticides, nanofungicides, and nanosensors, has emerged
as a promising approach for achieving agricultural sustainability, particularly in pest
*Corresponding author: and soil nutrient management. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess
Indra Jeet Chaudhary the effectiveness of zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO ) nanoparticles on
2
(indrajeet.cug@gmail.com) the chickpeas cultivar. Two sets of experiments were conducted: seed germination
Citation: Karale AN, Nigam B, (Petri dishes) and a field experiment analyzing various physiological, morphological,
Chaudhary IJ. Impact of zinc and biomass parameters. In the seed germination experiment, TiO nanoparticles
2
oxide and titanium dioxide were more effective than ZnO nanoparticles, achieving a 100% germination rate at
nanoparticles on growth parameters
of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum 48 h. Furthermore, in the field experiment, the biomass of the selected cultivar was
L.). Explora Environ Resour. higher at a 50 parts/million (ppm) nanoparticle concentration compared to 25 ppm.
2025;2(3):025120024. Conclusively, the application of both nanoparticles showed a positive impact on
doi: 10.36922/EER025120024
seed germination and plant growth. The nanoparticles hold significant potential for
Received: March 18, 2025 future agricultural applications, offering innovative solutions for agricultural yield
Revised: April 19, 2025 and environmental sustainability by enhancing nutrient delivery, soil health, and
Accepted: May 29, 2025 pest control. Therefore, this study will be helpful for farmers and scientists seeking to
harness the potential of nanomaterials for sustainable agricultural production.
Published online: June 30, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). Keywords: Zinc oxide; Titanium dioxide; Nanoparticles; Cicer arietinum; Seed
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the germination; Plant growth; Biomass of plants
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Agricultural productivity is one of India’s most complex topics, with both positive and
Publishing remains neutral with negative aspects. The rising global population growth and simultaneous environmental
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional challenges highlight the urgent need for innovative and sustainable solutions in
affiliations. agriculture to meet the growing demand for food worldwide. Agricultural seeds
1

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/EER025120024