In recent years, foliar applications of nanoparticles are increasingly being employed in agricultural fields as fertilizers to enhance crop yields. However, limited studies are available on the foliar uptake of nanoscale nutrients and their interaction with plants. In this study, we reported the effects of foliar spray with varied concentrations of nanoscale silica (N-SiO₂) and bulk tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS at 2000 ppm) on the growth and yield of groundnut. Nanosilica was prepared by a sol–gel method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and X-ray diffraction. The size and zeta potential of N-SiO₂ were found to be 28.7 nm and 32 mV, respectively. The plant height, number of branches, total dry weight, SPAD chlorophyll meter reading, photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, number of nodules, and ascorbic acid content were increased significantly with the N-SiO₂ foliar application at 400 ppm over control. The number of filled pods increased significantly by 38.78 and 58.60% with N-SiO₂ at 400 ppm application over TEOS and control, respectively. The pod yield per plant in N-SiO₂ at 400 ppm increased by 25.52 and 31.7% higher over TEOS and control, respectively. Antioxidant enzyme activities enhanced significantly in N-SiO₂ at 200 and 400 ppm over control, indicating a stimulatory effect on the plant growth. In addition, confocal microscopy revealed that fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-N-SiO₂ entered through stomata and then transported to vascular bundles via apoplastic movement. Our study for the first time demonstrated that N-SiO₂ can significantly modulate multiple complex traits in groundnut through an eco-friendly and sustainable approach.

中文翻译：

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纳米二氧化硅内化及其对花生 (Arachis hypogaea L.) 生长和产量的影响

近年来，纳米颗粒的叶面喷施越来越多地作为肥料用于农业领域，以提高作物产量。然而，关于纳米级养分的叶面吸收及其与植物的相互作用的研究有限。_{在这项研究中，我们报告了叶面喷施不同浓度的纳米级二氧化硅 (N-SiO 2} ) 和本体原硅酸四乙酯（TEOS，浓度为 2000 ppm）对花生生长和产量的影响。采用溶胶-凝胶法制备纳米二氧化硅，并通过透射电子显微镜、动态光散射和 X 射线衍射对其进行表征。_{N-SiO 2}的尺寸和zeta电位发现分别为 28.7 nm 和 32 mV。植物高度、分枝数、总干重、SPAD 叶绿素计读数、光合速率、水分利用效率、根瘤数和抗坏血酸含量随着 N-SiO 2 叶面喷施 400 ppm 比对照显着_增加。_{与 TEOS 和对照相比，使用 400 ppm 的 N-SiO 2}时，填充荚的数量分别显着增加了 38.78% 和 58.60% 。_{在 400 ppm 的 N-SiO 2}中，每株植物的豆荚产量比 TEOS 和对照分别高出 25.52% 和 31.7%。_{N-SiO 2}中的抗氧化酶活性显着增强超过对照 200 和 400 ppm，表明对植物生长有刺激作用。此外，共聚焦显微镜显示异硫氰酸荧光素（FITC）-N-SiO ₂通过气孔进入，然后通过质外体运动输送到维管束。我们的研究首次表明，N-SiO ₂可以通过一种生态友好和可持续的方法显着调节花生的多种复杂性状。