Effects of Nano-Materials on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth: Striking the Slight Balance Between the Concepts and Controversies

摘要

Nanotechnology is a versatile field that proffers novel relevance in all most all existing fields of science including biotechnology and agricultural science owing to its unique physiochemical properties, like large surface area, immensely high reactivity, particle size and morphology. Nanotechnology bears the potential of transmorgification to whole agricultural sector with several advanced tools that has intensified the capacity of plants to acquire more water and nutrients from soil. But at the same time plenty of information available that manifest the multifarious damaging effects imposed by NPs in plants. In the very context, a credible number of studies are also available that too focuses primarily on the positive and phytotoxic impacts of nanomaterials on higher plants. Since nanoparticles are of variable shape and size, it is really complicated to locate the differential impacts and its mode of action in higher plants. Therefore, concern over the potential detrimental impacts of nanomaterials have encouraged the arrival of nanotoxicology as a unique, foremost and momentous research discipline. Among the several effects of imposed by nanoparticle in higher plants, the integrated impact of it on seed germination and seedling growth is remarkable. In the current study, a plausible impacts of nanoparticle on seed germination rate has been mentioned as the rate of seed germination could be well marked as the most assessable tool for determining seedling vigour. Therefore, the present review highlights both the potential significant impact NPs on the seed germination along with its negative and nil impacts. The suitable explanation of physiological, and biomolecular mechanism of NPs in plant leads to better seed germination and Seedling Growth.