Carbon Nanodots: The Secret to Stronger, Faster Chilli Seedlings
Vangala Navya *
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Seed Research and Technology Centre, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, India.
Sujatha P
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Seed Research and Technology Centre, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, India.
Jagan Mohan Rao P
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Seed Research and Technology Centre, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, India.
Raghavendra K
Sairadhya Organics & Seed Technology Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad - 30, India.
S.N.C.V.L. Pushpavalli
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Seed Research and Technology Centre, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030, India.
Santhosha Rathod
ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 30, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
To tackle the challenges posed by nutrient deficiencies in chilli cultivation, a cutting-edge laboratory experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2022–23 at SRTC, PJTSAU, Hyderabad, exploring the potential of nutrient-doped carbon nanodots (CNDs). Seventeen treatments incorporating varying levels of zinc, iron, copper, manganese, calcium, and boron were examined to assess their impact on seed vigour, seedling dry weight, and field emergence. The results indicated that iron-doped (T4) and manganese-doped (T8) treatments notably enhanced seed vigour by up to 6%, maintained higher seedling dry weight up to 0.020 g, and improved field emergence up to 62% after 18 months of storage. In contrast, higher concentrations of calcium (T11) and boron (T14) were less effective. These findings demonstrate that nutrient-doped carbon nanodots can serve as a novel solution to enhance seed vigour and field emergence, ultimately improving chilli seed quality.
Keywords: Carbon nanodots (CNDs), nutrient-doped nanodots, seed vigour, chilli seedlings, iron and manganese