Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Nanoparticles (NPs) hold promise for enhancing plant growth and productivity under stress and nutrient deficiency. Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient, and its insufficiency results in stunted growth and diminished yield. In this study, we developed a novel NP, namely manganese-doped cerium oxide (MnCeO2), to mitigate Mn deficiency in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The NPs were produced utilizing the sol-gel technique and characterized for their physical and morphological properties by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution-TEM (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. The NPs (200 mg L− 1) were subjected to barley seedlings in a hydroponic culture under non-deficient (Mn0), 50% Mn-deficient (Mn50), and 100% Mn-deficient (Mn100) conditions. The physiological, morphological, and nutritional status of the seedlings were evaluated. Moreover, their possible cytotoxic and genotoxic impacts were assessed using confocal microscopy and random amplified polymorphic DNA - polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) methods, respectively. Results showed that MnCeO2 NPs under Mn50 condition significantly (P < 0.05) improved germination rate (18%), pigmentation (chlorophyll-a and -b), photosynthetic parameters (ETR, Fv/Fm, and Y(II)), growth indices (shoot and leaf length), biomass (38.6–48.0%), and nutrient element content. This shows that MnCeO2 NPs have a positive effect in eliminating Mn deficiency. In contrast, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects were observed under Mn100 conditions. These findings indicate that MnCeO2 NPs effectively complemented Mn deficiency under 50% Mn-deficient conditions. However, they are insufficient to fully meet the Mn requirement of barley plants under severe Mn deficiency (Mn100). This is supported by elemental analyses of root and shoot tissues, which showed a substantial increase in Mn content under Mn deficiency conditions. Overall, this study demonstrates that MnCeO2 NPs are a potential nanofertilizer for meeting the Mn needs in barley. However, it is insufficient to fully compensate for the Mn requirements under conditions of severe Mn deficiency. This study may serve as a model for addressing manganese deficiency using a novel Mn-containing nanoformulation.