Journal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology

Effect of ZnO nanoparticle on plant growth promoting endophyte Piriformospora indica

Nanotechnology Congress & Expo

August 11-13, 2015 Frankfurt, Germany

Ajit Varma, Uma, Pragati Awasthi and Manika Khanuja

Poster-Accepted Abstracts: J Nanomed Nanotechnol

Abstract:

Nanobiotechnology has a great potential to enhance the quality of life through its wide range of applications in Agriculture including Nano-Fertilizers, Nano-pesticides, Nano-herbicides. In this direction, an investigation has been initiated to study the effect of ZnO nanostructured materials on the growth of Piriformospora indica (Hymenomycetes, Basidiomycota) which is a novel and new cultivable mycorrhiza. This fungus possesses multifunctional activities like plant growth promoter, biofertilizer, immune modulator, obviates biotic and abiotic stresses, bioherbicide, phytoremediator, etc. Growth promotional characteristics of P. indica have been studied in enormous number of plants and majority of them have shown highly significant outcomes. Effect of P. indica has been studied on more than 150 plants indicating that a very small amount of propaguleis sufficient to promote root as well as shoot growth. Promising outputs of laboratory experiments and field trials indicated the need for its biomass cultivation and usage. In the present ?nano-agriculture? study, P. indica is treated with ZnO nanoparticles. In particular, observations were made, colonies were found to be more distinct, larger in size, more smooth and round in ZnO nanoparticles infused medium as compared to control without nanoparticle where fungal surface is rough and overall size of the colonies were not very large. The results of the study were examined by fresh and dry weight. Biomass, spore count and scanning electron microscopy analysis. It is inferred that addition of ZnO nanoparticle resulted in promising enhancement in the biomass of P. indica. Treatment of Brocoli seeds with nanoembedded fungal propagule resulted in early germination as compared to untreated control. The mechanisms of these two properties are under investigation.