BIOCHAR AND SILVER NANOPARTICLES FOR ENHANCING GERMINATION OF LEMON AND MANGO SEEDS

Abstract

In the present investigation, several fruit seed germinations have been aided by the innovative use of nanomaterials and biochar obtained from organic sources. In order to address issues with seed viability, it was anticipated that a more intelligent use of such compounds in producing fruits would be possible. The effects of nanomaterials and biochar on fruit seed germination were studied, focusing on their interaction with mango and lemon seeds. A soil-less petri dish bioassay was conducted, utilizing varying concentrations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and olive pomace-derived biochar. Results indicated a positive impact of biochar on mango seed germination, whereas the additions of the same concentrations of both treatments showed a negative effect in the case of lemon, which was unexpected. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results show a consistent physiological trend: treatments that increased germination percentages also decreased mean germination time and increased germination rate. However, cc, whereas Lemon showed greater dispersion in treatment scores, indicating greater susceptibility to treatment effects. This study opens a new door for investigating the effect of the novel applications of AgNPs and biochar in different fruit seed germinations, taking into account that each fruit species requires individual experimental studies to determine the promising additions of both treatments.