Studying the effect of zinc chelate fertilizer in two forms, nano and non-nano, on growth indices, chlorophyll content, and soluble sugars of chickpea plants at different salinity levels

In order to investigate the effect of foliar application of zinc chelate fertilizers in two forms: nano (nano zinc chelate fertilizer) and non-nano and different salinity levels (0, 25, 50 and 75 mM sodium chloride salt) and their interaction on growth indices, chlorophyll a, b and total (a+b) content and soluble sugars of the shoots and roots of chickpea, an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications and 12 treatments. The results showed that salinity stress and zinc chelate fertilizer in two forms, nano and non-nano, had a significant effect on the studied indices at the 5% level. So that the fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots, shoot and root length, chlorophyll and soluble sugar content were significantly reduced under the influence of different salinity levels, especially 75 mM salinity, compared to the control, and the application of zinc chelate fertilizer, especially in nano form, significantly increased them compared to the control, thus reducing the negative effects of salt stress.

Results
- Plant growth: The use of zinc chelate fertilizer in both nano and non-nano forms significantly improved plant growth compared to the control group (without fertilizer).
- Chlorophyll content: The chlorophyll content in plants treated with nano fertilizer was significantly higher than in plants treated with non-nano fertilizer.
- Soluble sugars: Soluble sugars in plants increased under the influence of nano fertilizer, indicating an improvement in plant metabolism under saline conditions.
The results show that the use of zinc chelate fertilizer in nano form can be used as an effective strategy to improve the growth and yield of chickpea plants under saline conditions. This research emphasizes the importance of using nanotechnology in agriculture.
Zinc chelate fertilizer in nano form can effectively help improve growth, chlorophyll content, and soluble sugars of chickpea plants and is suggested as a solution to combat the negative effects of salinity.