Influences of Air, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide Nanobubbles on Seed Germination and Plant Growth

Ahmed Khaled Abdella Ahmed, Xiaonan Shi, Likun Hua, Leidy Manzueta, Weihua Qing, Taha Marhaba, Wen Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

144 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nanobubbles (NBs) hold promise in green and sustainable engineering applications in diverse fields (e.g., water/wastewater treatment, food processing, medical applications, and agriculture). This study investigated the effects of four types of NBs on seed germination and plant growth. Air, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide NBs were generated and dispersed in tap water. Different plants, including lettuce, carrot, fava bean, and tomato, were used in germination and growth tests. The seeds in water-containing NBs exhibited 6-25% higher germination rates. Especially, nitrogen NBs exhibited considerable effects in the seed germination, whereas air and carbon dioxide NBs did not significantly promote germination. The growth of stem length and diameter, leave number, and leave width were promoted by NBs (except air). Furthermore, the promotion effect was primarily ascribed to the generation of exogenous reactive oxygen species by NBs and higher efficiency of nutrient fixation or utilization.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)5117-5124
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume66
Issue number20
DOIs
StatePublished - May 23 2018

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemistry
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Keywords

  • nanobubbles
  • plant growth
  • seed germination
  • sustainable agricultural watering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Influences of Air, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide Nanobubbles on Seed Germination and Plant Growth'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this