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ABSTRACT
The need to enhance crop yield and manage threats to biomass production is crucial to feed our growing global population. The present study was conducted to botanic garden examine the effect of copper nanoparticles on the growth of Zea mays L. plant in ferruginous soil. The experimental field work was carried out at Botanic garden of the Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo state, Nigeria. The Plant materials were purchased from Oba market in Benin city, Edo state. The primary focus of the study was to investigate the effect of copper nano particles on the physiological and morphological levels of growth in maize plant. To achieve this, five seeds were carefully sown in each planting bag containing 7.5 kg of soil. Before sowing, the soil was polluted with iron sulfate (FeSO4) at different proportions: 1 ESV (0.3 g/L), 3 ESV(0.9g/L), and 5 ESV (1 .5g/L). The germination study was conducted meticulously for a duration of seven days after the initial planting. At two weeks after planting, copper nano particles (CUNPs) were synthesized and applied to the soil at different concentration of 15 %, 30 % and 75%. Growth parameters such as length of leave, breath, leave area, height of plants, number of leaf, loss of leaf and stem girth were recorded. The results show that the leaf length of maize plant polluted with 0.3g/L of FeSO4 treated with different concentrations of nanoparticles, ranged from 2.80±1.34 -30.72±4.20 (control) compared to 30% CUNPs treatment which ranged from 3.22±1.87-30.46±4.43. The values of Leaf breath of maize plant polluted with 1.5g/L of FeSO4 treated with different concentration of CUNPs ranged 0.76±0.30 - 1.56±0.90 (control) compared to 75% CUNPs treatment which ranged from 0.72±0.25 - 1.52±0.85. Among the various concentrations of copper nanoparticles employed, 30% nanoparticle concentration exhibited the highest level of plant growth productivity. The results of this study has shown that CUNPs can greatly improve the growth and productivity of maize plant as the impact was clearly demonstrated throughout the plant development.
