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TSRC, Tob. Sci. Res. Conf., 2013, 67, abstr. 87

Effects of carbon nanoparticles on seed germination, nutrient absorption, and yield of tobacco.

LIANG Taibo, YIN Qisheng, ZHANG Yanling, WANGI Baolin, GUO Weimin, XIE Jianping
Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, P.R. China

Unlike macromaterials, nanomaterials have some particular properties such as surface effects, volume effects, quantum size effects, etc. In recent years, the biological and agricultural applications of nanomaterials have become of increasing interest. Some studies have shown that nanomaterials can enhance crop seed germination and promote plant growth. Also, the rate of chemical fertilizer utilization can be increased by nanomaterial application to soil. A recent study showed that carbon nanotubes induce growth enhancement of tobacco cells. Tobacco is an important economic crop in China, however, to date, little attention has been paid to the growth and nutrient absorption of tobacco plants in the presence of nanomaterials. This study was conducted to determine the effects of carbon nanoparticles on seed germination, nutrient accumulation, and yield in tobacco. Carbon nanoparticles (10-100nm) in two forms (sols and powder) were used in this study. The results showed that carbon nanoparticle sols can increase the root hair length and number, and promote growth of the radicle and embryo in a wide range of concentrations (5-40 mg/L), which promoted tobacco seed germination. In water cultivation, carbon nanoparticles at 5-20 mg/L promoted tobacco plant growth and increased root biomass and dry matter accumulation. Also, application of carbon nanoparticles enhanced the absorption of nitrogen and potassium in tobacco plants, increasing the nutrient content and accumulation amount. Under field conditions, carbon nanoparticle fertilizer increased the yield and value in tobacco production. It also increased the potassium content of tobacco leaves, which improved the tobacco quality. Therefore, carbon nanoparticles are suitable for use as a new fertilizer in tobacco production.