Biogenic Zinc Nanoparticles from Weeds as an Innovative Zinc Source for Boosting Growth, Yield, and Profitability in Maize

Sannagoudar, Manjanagouda S; Nayak, Parthivi; Jayadeva, H  M; Somashekarappa, P  R; Kumar Kurdekar, Akshay; Kadalli, G  G; George, Anjitha; Shantharaja, C  S; Sripathy, K  V; GA, Dr. Rajanna; Paramesh, Venkatesh; Halli, Hanamant; Arif, Mohd; Chand, Subhash; Gupta, Gaurendra; Tyagi, Vishal; H S, Mahesha; Vanishree, G

doi:10.3389/fsufs.2025.1613410

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

Sec. Climate-Smart Food Systems

Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1613410

This article is part of the Research TopicBuilding Resilience Through Sustainability: Innovative Strategies In Agricultural SystemsView all articles

Biogenic Zinc Nanoparticles from Weeds as an Innovative Zinc Source for Boosting Growth, Yield, and Profitability in Maize

Provisionally accepted

Manjanagouda S Sannagoudar^1*

Parthivi Nayak²

H M Jayadeva²

P R Somashekarappa²

Akshay Kumar Kurdekar³

G G Kadalli²

K V Sripathy¹

Mohd Arif⁷

G Vanishree¹

¹ICAR - Indian Institute of Seed Science, Regional Station, Bengaluru, India
²University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
³University of Agricultural Sciences Raichur, Raichur, Karnataka, India
⁴Directorate of Groundnut Research (ICAR-DGR), Jūnāgadh, India
⁵Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), Old Goa, Goa, India
⁶National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management (ICAR), Baramati, Maharashtra, India
⁷Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (ICAR), Modipuram, Uttar Pradesh, India
⁸Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (ICAR), Jhānsi, Uttar Pradesh, India
⁹Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, India
¹⁰Central Tobacco Research Institute (ICAR), Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Nanotechnology offers a sustainable strategy for improving nutrient efficiency and crop productivity. This study hypothesized that green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (Zinc based NPs), derived from weed leaf extracts, could enhance maize performance more effectively than conventional zinc sources. Zinc based NPs (76.89 nm, spherical) were synthesized and characterized, then evaluated through a field experiment using maize hybrid MAH 14-5. Treatments involved seed priming with 800 ppm zinc-based NPs and foliar applications at 200-600 ppm under a randomized complete block design. Results revealed that the combination of seed priming and 500 ppm foliar spray (T5) significantly improved plant height (277.6 cm), leaf area index (2.99), and dry matter production (344 g plant -1 ). This treatment also recorded the highest kernel yield (8525 kg ha -1 ), stover yield (11,803 kg ha -1 ), and harvest index (0.422), outperforming conventional ZnSO₄ treatments. These findings suggest that biogenic nano zinc is a promising, eco-friendly alternative for boosting maize yield and resource use efficiency.

Keywords: Innovative Zinc Source, leaf extract, characterization, Eco-friendly, weeds

Received: 17 Apr 2025; Accepted: 09 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Sannagoudar, Nayak, Jayadeva, Somashekarappa, Kumar Kurdekar, Kadalli, George, Shantharaja, Sripathy, GA, Paramesh, Halli, Arif, Chand, Gupta, Tyagi, H S and Vanishree. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Manjanagouda S Sannagoudar, ICAR - Indian Institute of Seed Science, Regional Station, Bengaluru, India

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