Betaine-rich Nano fertilizer improves growth parameters of Zea mays var. saccharata and Arabidopsis thaliana under salt stress

Md. Sarwar Jahan, Hasan Nudin Nur Fatihah, Fadzil Suhaimi Fadzillah Adibah

Abstract: Salinity or salt stress contributed to major problem in agriculture world. More than 50% of agriculture and irrigated land are affected by salt. This condition limits the available nutrients in the soil, induces physiological disorder and antioxidant dysfunction in plant, and hence influences plant growth and productivity. The relation of betaine and Nano fertilizer remained unknown. The present study aims to determine the effects of betaine-rich Nano fertilizer on growth parameters of sweet corn (Z. mays var. saccharata) and A. thaliana plants under salt stress. Plants were grown with a proper agronomic practices in a controlled plant growth room. Different salinity levels (S0:0 dS/m, S1:2 dS/m, S2:4 dS/m, S3:6 dS/m and S4:8 dS/m), two different concentrations of betaine (B0:0 mM and B1: 50 mM) and with or without the application of Nano fertilizer (N0: without Nano fertilizer and N1: with Nano fertilizer) were arranged as Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates. Data for growth parameters (plant height, leaf number, root and leaf length and root:leaf length ratio) were recorded. In sweet corn plant, betaine-rich Nano fertilizer significantly increased plant height, number of leaves, root length, leaf length and root:leaf length ratio. In A. thaliana, betaine-rich Nano fertilizer showed significant results on plant height, root and leaf length and root:leaf length ratio, but insignificant effect on number of leaves. As a conclusion, this study suggests that application of betaine-rich Nano fertilizer on plant under salinity condition improves the plant growth and development through reducing detrimental consequences of salt stress.

Keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; betaine-rich; growth parameters; nano fertilizer; salt stress; var. saccharata; Zea mays

Date published: 2020-02-27