Green synthesis of Russian knapweed aqueous extract iron oxide nanoparticles and their applications for weed management in wheat

Abstract

Plant-derived substances are becoming increasingly popular as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional chemical herbicides in crop production. A promising weed control strategy for achieving sustainable agriculture is integrated weed management using bioherbicides, which inhibit the germination and growth of weed seeds. The properties of such bioherbicides have only rarely been studied in vitro. An extract from Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repense L.) is used here to synthesize iron oxide nanoparticles. Biodegradable plant components and other biodegradable waste materials can be utilized in green synthesis to produce nanoparticles. The resulting nanostructures were characterized in terms of magnetic properties, chemical structure, morphology, thermal stability, and crystal structure using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Wild mustard, wild oats, and wheat seedlings were exposed to different concentrations of aerial parts extract of Russian knapweed formulated with iron oxide. Germination percentage, seedling length, and dry weight of both the pure and formulated Russian knapweed extract treated seedlings were decreased trend. Reduced germination of wild mustard (zero), wild oats (zero), and wheat (65%) was achieved after treatment with 20% aqueous extract of Russian knapweed formulated as iron oxide nanoparticles. The results suggest that Russian knapweed extracts formulated with iron oxide can be used as a bioherbicide.