Class
Article
College
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Department
Plants, Soils, and Climate Department
Faculty Mentor
Astrid Jacobson
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
It has been reported that zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) can promote drought tolerance in crops when used as soil amendments. However, many of these experiments were conducted in Zn-deficient growth media with no comparison to currently available Zn fertilization methods, making it unclear if the benefits from adding ZnO NPs were caused by a nano-specifc mechanism or simply by the mitigation of a micronutrient deficiency. A review of the literature shows that of 12 published experiments considering the effects of ZnO NPs on plant health, 5 out of 6 studies that did not include a comparison to currently available Zn fertilizers reported a beneficial effect, with the other study reporting mixed effects. In contrast, of 6 studies that included comparisons to currently available Zn fertilizers, only one reported a positive effect, with 4 reporting neutral or mixed effects and one reporting negative effects. The trends in the literature suggest that the benefits reported from the use of ZnO NPs may result from the mitigation of a micronutrient deficiency and not from a nano-specific mechanism. Preliminary studies conducted in Zn-sufficient growth media have failed to detect a benefit for wheat seedlings experiencing drought stress, again suggesting that ZnO NPs may simply mitigate a micronutrient deficiency. This work demonstrates the need to compare new agronomic technologies with currently available products and production methods. Presentation Time: Wednesday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/87115208381?pwd=NVZiTjZ4Y1l1QnVwNDMzWmUydE9lZz09
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
4-10-2021 12:00 AM
Included in
Is Mitigation of Drought Stress by Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Driven by a Nano-Specific Mechanism or Mitigation of Micronutrient Deficiency?
Logan, UT
It has been reported that zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) can promote drought tolerance in crops when used as soil amendments. However, many of these experiments were conducted in Zn-deficient growth media with no comparison to currently available Zn fertilization methods, making it unclear if the benefits from adding ZnO NPs were caused by a nano-specifc mechanism or simply by the mitigation of a micronutrient deficiency. A review of the literature shows that of 12 published experiments considering the effects of ZnO NPs on plant health, 5 out of 6 studies that did not include a comparison to currently available Zn fertilizers reported a beneficial effect, with the other study reporting mixed effects. In contrast, of 6 studies that included comparisons to currently available Zn fertilizers, only one reported a positive effect, with 4 reporting neutral or mixed effects and one reporting negative effects. The trends in the literature suggest that the benefits reported from the use of ZnO NPs may result from the mitigation of a micronutrient deficiency and not from a nano-specific mechanism. Preliminary studies conducted in Zn-sufficient growth media have failed to detect a benefit for wheat seedlings experiencing drought stress, again suggesting that ZnO NPs may simply mitigate a micronutrient deficiency. This work demonstrates the need to compare new agronomic technologies with currently available products and production methods. Presentation Time: Wednesday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Zoom link: https://usu-edu.zoom.us/j/87115208381?pwd=NVZiTjZ4Y1l1QnVwNDMzWmUydE9lZz09