The Efficiency of The Foliar Application Using Silica and Silver Nanoparticles on Duranta erecta under Salinity Conditions

Abstract

Evergreen shrub Duranta erecta "Golden Edge" is utilized for ledges, summer color, and expanding specimens in landscaped gardens. It is projected that the landscaping and gardening of these places will suffer due to a lack of non-saline irrigation water and fewer ornamental species that can grow in these conditions. Thus, pot experiments were conducted in the seasons of 2021 and 2022 to investigate the impact of diluted seawater (DSW), which was assigned as the main plot, and nano-silica (SiO2NPs) and nano-silver (AgNO3NPs), which were situated as the subplot. The data gathered indicated that the "Golden Edge" D. erecta survival rate was 100% up to 30% DSW. Whitest at 40 and 50%, there was little chance of survival. DSW levels had adverse effects on vegetative growth traits (plant height, branches per plant, stem diameter, fresh and dry weights of aerial parts, roots per plant, and leaf greenness degree), chemical composition (N, P, K, Si and total carbohydrates and water content%), and relative to the control (tap water). With rising DSW% during the two seasons, the values of these attributes significantly and gradually dropped. On the other hand, DSW increased proline content, Na, and Cl% when compared to the control. Nevertheless, SiO2NPs and AgNO3NPs applications at 150 and 300 mg/l of each considerably enhanced vegetative and chemical features except for Na and Cl%, which decreased in comparison to the control. In some cases, the rate of 300 mg/l AgNO3NPs and 300 mg/l SiO2NPs had no appreciable variations in their effects on the maximum significant values of vegetative characteristics, N, P, K, total carbohydrates %, and proline content. While the control had the highest Na and Cl% results. The highest plant water content and Si content were given at the same time by 150 and 300 mg/l SiO2NPs. The interaction between 300 mg/l AgNO3NPs and irrigation with tap water (control) produced the greatest values of the abovementioned traits, apart from Na and Cl% and proline content, whose highest values were recorded for the plants irrigated by 30% DSW combined with non-sprayed and 300 mg/l AgNPs, respectively. Also, the plants that received tap water irrigation and were successively sprayed with 150 and 300 mg of SiO2NPs during the two seasons had the highest water content.