Biosynthesis of magnesium oxide and calcium carbonate nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera extract and their effectiveness on the growth, yield and photosynthetic performance of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes

Abstract

Small-scale crop production has been significantly impacted by the heavy price, limited supply, and frequent shortage of inorganic fertilisers, which is partly attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak and led to rising oil and food prices. Thus, integrating environmentally friendly agricultural practices that can improve crop productivity and advance the sustainability of agricultural cropping systems is critical.This study synthesized and characterised MgO and CaCO3 Moringa oleifera nanoparticles and assessed their effects on groundnut genotypes. The effect of biosynthesized MgO and CaCO3 nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera extract on the growth and yield of groundnut genotypes exposed to different concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 mg/L was examined. The experiment was carried laid out in a 3 × 8 factorial completely randomized design (CRD) with eight replicates per treatment. Each plant was sprayed with 5 ml of the solution crystalline size of the MgO and CaCO3 nanoparticles 2.48 nm and 10.30 nm, respectively. Foliar application of nanoparticle treatments was applied weekly except for the negative control. The collected data were subjected to a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Mean separations were done using Tukey's Honest Significant Difference (HSD) at P < 0.05.The findings demonstrated that foliar application of MgO and CaCO3 nanoparticles positively affected groundnut biomass production. The results further revealed that the concentration of 50 mg/L of MgO and 100 mg/L of CaCO3 considerably improved groundnut plant growth, yield, and nodulation in comparison with other treatments. There is a great deal of evidence signifying that foliar applications of 50 mg/L of MgO 100 mg/L CaCO3 contributed greatly to plant growth and crop production. Therefore, 50 mg/L of MgO and 100 mg/L CaCO3 nanoparticles foliar application could be recommended as nano-fertilisers application rate for groundnut production.