Nanoparticles and magnetic field as novel elicitors improve seed germination and early growth of Mediterranean cypress

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the possibility of increasing the germination traits and early growth characteristics of Mediterranean cypress by applying nanopriming and magnetic field. To perform nanopriming, seeds were primed with nanochitin, nanochitosan and nanocellulose at a concentration of 1% for 2 h. For magnetopriming, the seeds were exposed to a magnetic field at three levels (20, 30 and 40 mT) for 1, 10 and 20 min and then sown. In combined treatment, the seeds were exposed to the magnetic field and then primed in nanoparticle solutions at the same treatments as mentioned earlier, and were planted. Non-exposed seeds were used as a control. The selected seed germination parameters (the percentage and speed of germination, stem and radicle length, collar root diameter, fresh and dry weights of the radicle and stem, number of leaves and leaf area) of young seedlings were examined. The interaction of nano × magnetic resulted in significant differences in the number of leaves, leaf area, length of the radicle, length of the stem, fresh weight of the radicle, fresh weight of the stem and stem dry weight traits. The results showed that among all the applied treatments, 10 min magnetism to 20 mT and then priming with 1% solution of nanocellulose was the best. It increased the germination percentage (1.31 times), germination rate (1.46 times), number of leaves (1.57 times), leaf area (1.36 times) and radicle length (1.74 times) compared to the control (no treatment). A 20-min treatment under a 30-mT magnetic field (without nanoprime) is also recommended.