Effect of nanosilver and biochar application on plant physiological characteristics under water stress conditions

Abstract

Drought negatively affects crop productivity, especially crop quality and sustainability. In recent years, the use of biochar, which plays an important role in combating drought, has come to attention. Biochar is an organic/vegetable material with high surface area, porosity, and water retention capacity. Nanoparticles accelerate soil improvement and plant growth by reducing the need for fertilizer. In light of this information, it was aimed to determine the effects of biochar and nanoparticles on plants under water stress conditions. For this purpose, biochar (B0= No biochar, B1= biochar) and nano silver (N0= no nano silver, N1= nano silver) were applied under varying levels of irrigation water (I100= Full irrigation, I75= 25% water deficit, I50= 50% water deficit), treatments on plant physical properties (leaf relative moisture content, chlorophyll content, membrane damage index) and leaf color parameters (L*, a*, b*, croma and hue) were investigated. At the end of the study, the highest irrigation water use was determined in the I100N1B0 treatment (212.4 mm) and the lowest in the I50N0B1 treatment (130.8 mm). Biochar application decreased the membrane damage index of the plant and increased the chlorophyll content, leaf relative water content, and green color intensity in the leaves of the plant. As a result, it was determined that using biochar in irrigation water deficit applications positively improved the plant's physiological characteristics. In addition, it was determined that the effects of nano silver application on plant physiology were not statistically significant.