Influence of Polyherbal Nanoformulation on Plant Growth and Biochemical Constituents in Legume Seedlings

Sustainable agriculture is a key factor to meet the global demand of food supply. In recent years, nanotechnology has been adopted as a promising tool for achieving the sustainable agriculture. The advent of nanotechnology may play a significant role from farm to fork, by improving the yield and quality. Several approaches are utilized viz nano-farming, nanoparticles-enabled smart delivery system, nanofertilizers, nanomaterials to enhance the quality by promoting the seed germination, increasing biochemical constituents, adaptation and resistance to diseases. Polyherbal nanoformulation (PHNF) was formulated using green nanotechnology with the assistance of triphala extract and silver nitrate solution. Synthesized PHNF was physico chemically confirmed for the formation of nanosized particles. This research focuses on applications of polyherbal nanoformulation (PHNF) on plant growth promotion in Vigna radiata and Trigonella foenum-graecum. Germinating seeds were sprayed with 1 ppm, 5 ppm, 10 ppm of PHNF and compared with the control. Upon PHNF treatment the growth parameters including shoot length, root length and fresh weight were increased in all two tested species. There was a gradual increase in the photosynthetic pigments including total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and biochemical constituents including proteins and carbohydrates and is concentration dependent. These results suggested that polyherbal nanoformulation can be used as an alternative to chemical fertilizers to overcome the drawbacks of synthetic fertilizers and to provide eco-friendly solution for plants and protect the ecosystem from hazardous chemicals.