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Explora: Environment
and Resource ZnO and TiO nanoparticles and its impact on chickpeas
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face susceptibility to environmental stressors, leading agriculture, fast and identical seed germination is crucial.
to compromised seed vigor, hindered crop growth, and Nano-enabled seed treatment has gained considerable
reduced yield. While conventional seed treatments by attention due to its potential to increase germination and
agrochemical-based products improve seed germination, overall plant growth.
they also pose significant environmental risks. The integration of nanotechnology in agriculture has
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Consequently, there is a pressing need for sustainable led to a new period of revolution, contributing promising
technologies, such as nano-based agrochemicals to address solutions to increase crop yield and sustainability. Among
these challenges. Nano-agrochemicals offer the potential the myriad applications of nanotechnology in agriculture,
to mitigate the dose-dependent toxicity associated with nano-enabled seed treatments have garnered significant
seed treatments, thereby enhancing seed viability and consideration for their potential to revolutionize
ensuring the controlled release of active constituents. conventional seed germination practices and seedling vigor
However, the excessive use of nano-agrochemicals raises indices. This research delves into recent advancements in
authentic concerns regarding their safety, exposure levels, nano-enabled seed treatments and their profound impact
and impacts on the environment and human health. on the germination, seedling vigor, and growth physiology
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Consequently, there is a critical need for comprehensive of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars. As a staple crop
assessments and policy regulations to evaluate and manage rich in protein and essential nutrients, chickpeas play an
these risks. important role in food security worldwide. Therefore,
Agricultural production plays a key role in the understanding the effects of nanoparticles, specifically
economies of developing nations, serving as the primary titanium dioxide (TiO ) and zinc oxide (ZnO), on seed
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provider of food for a rapidly expanding population germination and seedling growth is key for improving
globally, which currently exceeds 7.5 billion people. chickpea cultivation practices. This study examines the
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Seeds constitute a fundamental input for sustainable comparative effectiveness of TiO and ZnO nanoparticles
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agricultural productivity, and approximately 90% of crops on seed germination rates and vigorous indices, elucidating
are grown from seeds. High-quality seeds are essential for their respective roles in promoting robust seedling growth
generating vigorous seedlings, thereby contributing to and overall plant biomass. By elucidating the biochemical
effective agricultural practices. However, agriculture faces mechanisms underlying the observed effects, including
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multifaceted environmental challenges, such as salinity, antioxidant enzyme activity, chlorophyll content, and
drought, and heavy metals in soil, along with the impacts nutrient uptake, this research contributes valuable insights
of climate change. These factors can detrimentally affect to the burgeoning field of nanotechnology-enabled
seed germination, sprout growth, and, ultimately, crop agriculture. Through comprehensive investigation and
yield. Moreover, seeds are susceptible to damage from analyses, this study aims to inform sustainable agricultural
seed-borne diseases and pests, leading to irregular seed practices and pave the way for informed decision-making
latency, reduced viability, and impaired water absorption, in crop management strategies.
all of which negatively impact crop and final yield. 8 To ensure sufficient crop establishment and the effective

In terms of agricultural innovation, nanotechnology use of production resources in profitable agriculture,
is a promising new area that offers long-term solutions fast and uniform seed germination is crucial. Many crop
to the urgent problems affecting global food security. species have semi-permeable coatings in their seed coats
Through the utilization of nanoparticles’ unique features, that limit solute leakage while facilitating gas exchange
such as their heightened reactivity and surface area, nano- and water absorption. The dense layer of aniline blue
based agrochemicals and seed priming methods hold the staining on the seed coats may have an impact on water
potential to transform seed treatments, augment crop permeability and, in turn, seed germination. With varied
yields, and guarantee the enduring viability of farming degrees of effectiveness, treatments, such as scarification,
methods. However, it is essential to proceed with caution nicking, and removal of the seed coat have been studied
and conduct comprehensive assessments to mitigate to improve the permeability of the seed coat to water and
potential risks to the environment and human health, oxygen, hence improving seed germination and vigor
ensuring that nanotechnology is harnessed responsibly for of the seedlings. However, triploid seeds still have less
the benefit of society as a whole. Nanotechnology emerged seedling vigor than diploid seeds. Thus, new seed priming
as a promising field in agriculture, offering innovative methods are required to increase seed germination and
solutions to enhance crop productivity and stress seedling vigor.
tolerance. To guarantee sufficient crop establishment Therefore, the present study was conducted to
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and the effective use of production resources in profitable understand the mechanisms of ZnO and TiO nanoparticles
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Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 2 doi: 10.36922/EER025120024