Effect of Nano micronutrients and Nano PGPRs through Bio capsules on growth and development, yield of Chilli (capsicum annuum L.) cv. Pusa Jwala

Introduction

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) variety Pusa Jwala serves as an essential flavoring and food plant in India, However, inadequate nutrient absorption, degraded land, and high farming costs limit its productivity. Through the use of environmentally friendly carriers, this study evaluated the combined effects of beneficial soil microbes that promote plant growth and essential elements that are essential at the nanoscale (zinc and iron oxides) on development traits, production levels, product attributes, ground composition, and financial viability in outdoor trials. Essential metrics were measured at several stages (60 to 150 days postplanting) across two seasons (2022-2023) using a randomized plot arrangement with 15 variants (including untreated, full recommended fertilizer amount, and mixes of carriers at 250 or 500 parts per million with nano zinc or iron oxides) replicated three times. The diversity Developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (now ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research), Pusa Jwala is a popular cultivar in India that is suitable for both the manufacture of dried spices and fresh market due to its great yield potential, early maturity, and powerful pungency. A permanent, annual plant with distinct growth and agricultural characteristics is Pusa Jwala. Structure: Dense, upright shape, 60-80 cm in height and 45-60 cm in width. Foliage: smooth, deep green, egg-lance shaped, 8-12 cm long. Pale blooms that can be single or clustered and primarily self-fertilize, however insects help with mixing. Produce: Form and Scale: Slim, stretched, lightly bent fruits, usually 8-10 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. Hue: Green young, bright red ripe. Sharpness: Strong, with heat compound at 0.5-1.0% (50,000-100,000 heat units), medium to high spice. Output: In best Iron, zinc, manganese, and other vital plant nutrients are encapsulated or formed into nanoparticles as nano micronutrients to enhance plant absorption and delivery. Through slower, regulated release into the soil or to the leaves, this nanotechnology improves nutrient use efficiency, limiting overfertilization and saving farmers money while fostering agricultural sustainability and raising crop output and quality. Zinc oxide nanoparticles are zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with a diameter of less than 100 nm. They exhibit significant catalytic activity and a big surface area in relation to their size. The many methods used to create zinc oxide nanoparticles affect their precise chemical and physical characteristics. Laser ablation, hydrothermal techniques, electrochemical depositions, sol-gel techniques, chemical vapor deposition, thermal decomposition, combustion techniques, ultrasound, microwave-assisted combustion techniques, two-step mechanochemical-thermal synthesis, anodization, co-precipitation, electrophoretic deposition, and precipitation processes utilizing solution concentration, pH, and washing medium are a few potential methods for producing ZnO nanoparticles. Utilizing nanotechnology, nano-encapsulated or nanoformulated Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) increase the efficiency of beneficial soil bacteria in agriculture. By providing improved stability, controlled release, higher bioavailability, and improved root colonization, this combination lowers the requirement for chemical inputs and synthetic fertilizers while increasing crop yields and stress tolerance.

Materials and Methods

An experiment entitled on Effect of Nano micronutrients and Nano PGPR s through Bio capsules on growth and development, yield of Chilli (capsicum annuum l.) cv. Pusa Jwala was conducted during Rabi season of 2022 -2023 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agriculture Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Science, Prayagraj (U.P.) IndiaNano-iron oxide (FeO, 100 ppm), nano-zinc oxide (ZnO, 150 ppm), and nano-PGPR biocapsules are examples of micronutrients with three levels: beneficial microorganisms (such Bacillus and Azospirillum species) contained in biodegradable matrix (like chitosan-based) at concentrations of 500 ppm and 250 ppm. The experimental plot's sandy loamy soil had a pH of 7.3, was nearly neutral in soil reaction, and contained potassium (243.8 kg/ha), accessible phosphorus (27.4 kg/ha), nitrogen (239.5 kg/ha), and a low amount of organic carbon (0.45%). A Randomized Block Design was used to set up the experiment, which included ten treatments with three replications. With a 45 cm x 15 cm spacing, chilli (Pusa Jwala) were planted on February 17, 2022, and 2023. Applying organic manure as a spreading technique involved digging furrows along the seed rows that were 4-5 cm deep using a hand hoe. After germination, the gaps were filled by transplanting 10 days after the first seeding. Where necessary, seedlings were removed to maintain a 45 cm by 15 cm gap between plants. To lessen weed competition and crop density, intercultural operations were carried out every 25 to 45 days. Harvesting took place on May 22nd, 2022, and 2023. Features of plant growth, such as plant height (cm). From germination to harvest, measurements were taken at regular intervals to determine the percentage of flowers per plant, the number of branches per plant, and the number of leaves per plant. Fruit/plant, fruit yield (kg/ha), stover yield (kg/ha), and harvest index (%) were among the yield parameters tested at 30, 60, 90, and 1200 DAS. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), as it relates to randomized block design, was used to statistically examine the observed data of ten treatments (Gomez and Gomez, 1984) [7] .

Results and Discussion

Growth parameter Plant Height

The data of growth parameter are presented in Table 1.

show Effect of Nano micronutrients and Nano PGPR s through Bio capsules on growth and development of Chilli. the application of (NPK(RDF)100%Biocapsule 250PPM + ZnO + FeO) in T 14 resulted the higher plant height at 120 DAS, T13 peaked at 108.07 cm (2022) and 114.21 cm (2023), averaging 111.14 cm, followed by T12 at 106.69 cm and 103.72 cm (pooled 105.2 cm), against T0's 88.75 cm and 87.45 cm (pooled 88.1 cm). They exhibit significant catalytic activity and a big surface area in relation to their size. Essential plant nutrients including iron, zinc, and manganese are known as nano micronutrients. These nutrients are encapsulated or synthesized into nanoparticles to enhance plant absorption and delivery. Additionally, the term "nano-PGPR" refers to Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) that have been nano-encapsulated or nano-formulated. This technique employs nanotechnology to increase the efficiency of helpful soil bacteria in agriculture.

Number of Leaves/plant

Revealed that at 120 DAS, the number of leaves per plant gradually increased as treatments improved foliar development. T0 had 114.17 and 115.15 (pooled 114.66) at 120 DAS, while T12 had 144.8 and 141.39 (pooled 143.09) and T14 had 143.76 and 142.68 (pooled 143.22). Zinc oxide nanoparticles are nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO) that have diameters less than 100 nanometers. They have a large surface area relative to their size and high catalytic activity. Nano micronutrients are essential plant nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and manganese, encapsulated or formulated into nanoparticles to improve their delivery and absorption by plants. This nanotechnology enhances nutrient use efficiency by enabling slower, controlled release into the soil or to the leaves, preventing over-fertilization and reducing costs for farmers while promoting agricultural sustainability and increased crop productivity and quality.

Number of branches/plant

The result showed that increases in number of branching increased, and lateral development was encouraged by combined treatments at 120 DAS, T0 had 15. 18 release, improved stability, and better root colonization, leading to increased crop yields and stress tolerance while reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and chemical inputs.

The study of Nano micronutrients and nano-PGPR Bio capsules affected the time required to reach 50% flowering, which differed among treatments (Rai et al., 2021) [12] . With a pooled mean of 51.85 days, the control (T0) had the longest time, averaging 52.2 days in 2022 and 51. 5 [14,6,12,10] . Total soluble solids (TSS) were highest in T14 at 7.35% (2022) and 7.06% (2023), averaging 7.21%, and T10 at 7.06% and 6.87% (pooled 6.96%), compared to T0's 6.08% and 6.12% (pooled 6.1%). To enhance their delivery and absorption by plants, critical plant nutrients like iron, zinc, and manganese are encapsulated or formed into nanoparticles, which are known as nano micronutrients. The term "nano-encapsulated" or "nano-formulated" Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) is used to describe a technique that use nanotechnology to increase the efficiency of helpful soil bacteria in agriculture.

Fruit per plant

According to the statistical data in Table 2, The application of ((NPK(RDF)100%Biocapsule 250PPM + ZnO + FeO) had the significantly highest Fruit counts per plant were highest in integrated treatments. T14 recorded 56.37 (2022) and 58.64 (2023), averaging 57.5, while T13 had 55.35 and 55.06 (pooled 55.2), compared to T0's 40.19 and 40.6 (pooled 40.39). To enhance their delivery and absorption by plants, critical plant nutrients like iron, zinc, and manganese are encapsulated or formed into nanoparticles, which are known as nano micronutrients. The delayed, controlled release of nutrients into the soil or leaves made possible by this nanotechnology improves nutrient use efficiency, prevents overfertilization, lowers farmer expenses, and promotes agricultural sustainability as well as higher crop output and quality.

Fruit yield/ hectare (t/ha) Hectare yield was greatest in T14 at t/ha (2022) and 28.61 t/ha (2023), averaging 27.81 t/ha, and T13 at 27.94 t/ha and 26.46 t/ha (pooled 27.2 t/ha), while T0 was lowest at 20.39 t/ha and 19.93 t/ha (pooled 20.16 t/ha). The F-test was significant, with SEm± of 0.48 (years) and 0.34 (pooled), CD at 5% of 1.44 (years) and 1.03 (pooled), and CV% of 2.63 (years) and 1.88 (pooled) (Sharma et [14, 6, 12, 11] . Essential plant nutrients including iron, zinc, and manganese are known as nano micronutrients. These nutrients are encapsulated or synthesized into nanoparticles to enhance plant absorption and delivery. By permitting a slower, regulated flow of nutrients into the soil or to the leaves, this nanotechnology improves the efficiency of nutrient utilization, limiting overfertilization and saving farmers money while fostering agricultural sustainability and raising crop output and quality.

Conclusion

On the basis of two year experimentation, it concludes that with the application of application of ((NPK(RDF) 100% Biocapsule 250PPM + ZnO + FeO) performed better in growth and yield of Greengram has recorded highest test weight, grain yield, stover yield, net return and benefit cost ratio and as well as economically profitable.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementI am grateful to my advisor and chairman as well as all of the faculty members of Department of Horticulture, NAI for their unwavering support and advice throughout the entire experimental research study.

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