Effect of Growth Regulator (ATONIK) and Zn-Nano-Fertilizer on Sweet Pepper (Capsicum Annuum L.)

To determine the effects of foliar spraying with growth regulator (Atonik) and Nano-Zinc in sandy loam soil on the Qurtuba cultivar of sweet pepper, Capsicum annuum L., a field experiment was conducted in a non-heated plastic house at a specified field at coordinate during the autumn of 2022. A factorial experiment was constructed using the RCBD method, and the average was compared using an LSD with a 5% level of significance. Both the growth regulator (Atonik) and Nano-Zinc fertilizer were applied in three replicates at four different concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 75 mg L-1) each. An increase in plant height, number of branches, and leaf area was seen after spraying with the growth regulator at the level (75 mg L-1). With averages of (98.4 cm, 6.1 branch, 2157.7 cm2, 101.3 gm, 53.7 spad, 1.85%, 0.61%, and 2.01%) for dry weight of the vegetative group, leaf chlorophyll content, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively. Nano-Zinc sprayed at a dosage of 6 gm L-1 resulted in significant increases in all of the aforementioned metrics compared to the control treatment, with average increases of 94.8 cm, 6.0 branches, 2049.8 square centimeters, 100.5 grams, 52.3 spads, 1.78%, 0.59%, and 1.88 percent. By assigning the highest possible values to the interaction spraying treatment (75 mg L-1 + 6 gm L-1), it was shown that this treatment excelled over other interaction treatments.


Introduction
Capsicum annuum L., more often known as sweet pepper, is a member of the Solonaceae plant family and is notable for the vitamins A and C and minerals like calcium, iron, and phosphorus that it provides.There are both carbs and protein present.When a plant is lacking a vital nutrient, foliar nutrients can be applied as a complement to soil fertilization.It's a way for giving nutrients to plants in large enough quantities while still allowing for uniform dispersion on the plant's vegetative growth [1].[2], shown that when food demand expanded, foliar fertilizers were used more frequently by spraying t hem on the entire vegetative of plants to supply micro-or macronutrient, It facilitated the industrial manufacturing of vast quantities of fertilizer and, as verified by rigorous scientific study, has been the subject of most deliberate mistreatment.[3], because nutritional deficiencies first show up in the leaves, they are considered a crucial part of photosynthesis and the bulk of the plant's phylogenetic processes.Since foliar spraying boosts fertilizers' availability and allows them to engage in cellular metabolism and substance fixation, it is preferable for treating this condition [4].In order to supply enough levels of these nutrients for plant growth.Iraqi soils have had their nutrient components cleansed, sedimented, and stabilized, therefore 1259 (2023) 012059 IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1259/1/012059 2 adding fertilizers through spraying on plant leaves is essential.Both zinc and iron play important roles in plant physiology.Iron is needed for cellular respiration, reduction, and oxidation, and the production of photosynthesis-related cytokines [5].Protein and enzyme production, which aids in cell division and nucleic acid metabolism, need zinc.It also aids in the regulation of plant cells' inherent oxygen and defense mechanisms [6].When it comes to plant growth regulators, such as industrial auxins like naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), they cause an increase in stem length as well as an increase in the plasticity and flexibility of plant cells, which causes them to elongate and steadily grow larger.They also aid in the division of plant cells by increasing their protein content and fluid flow into the cell, which causes the cell to divide quickly and contributes to the growth of the plant.The increase in amino acids causes the osmotic potential to drop, which in turn lowers the water potential of the cell.This increases the cell's capacity to draw water and nutrients from the growth medium, which in turn boosts plant vegetative growth [7] and [8].When the growth regulator Atonik was sprayed on tomato leaves, it increased the concentration of NPK components in the leaves as well as the rate at which the plant grew taller, produced more leaves, and had larger leaf areas.[9], reported a significant increase in the percentage of field emergence, commercial foliar amino acid (Tirasorb) at a dosage of 3 ml increased the number of main stems, height of the plant, leaf area, relative chlorophyll content, and dry weight of the vegetative growth of potato.[10] ,showed that when plant growth regulators like gibberellin, indole acetic acid, and naphthalene acetic acid were sprayed on the leaves of tomato plants, as opposed to untreated plants, the percentage of protein in the leaves decreased and the level of chlorophyll increased.[11] discovered that the addition treatment of 200 mg / L gave the highest values with significant differences in the characteristics of plant height, average leaf area, dry shoot weight, and dry root weight.This was when examining the effect of amino acids (tyrosine, proline, and arginine) on the growth of tomato plants (Htouf cultivar).in compared with the comparative transaction.Modern plant fertilizing technology involves the use of nanoparticle fertilizers.It enhances the qualities of the soil and activates its essential elements.Fertilizers that are added to leaves help plants develop and produce more.Zinc-nano fertilizer has been shown to be more productive in agriculture than the more conventional zinc compounds.It's cheaper and has less environmental impacts when used in agriculture [12].According to [13], when zinc nanoparticles were sprayed on wheat, the results were superior to the control treatment in terms of both yield and concentration (6 gm.L -1 ).When applied to the leaves of greenhouse-grown pepper plants, a concentration of (25 mg of zinc -1 ) considerably accelerated the growth rate of plant height and number of branches, number of flowers, and proportion of the contracting phase compared to the control treatment [14].It had a dramatic impact on both the yield and quality of the fruit produced, which went up by 32% and 29%, respectively.The plant yield, early yield, and total yield all increased by 74%, 49%, and 73%, respectively, in the plastic greenhouse throughout the course of the comparison period.The goal of this research was to compare the effects of two different iron and zinc nano fertilizers on sweet pepper plant growth and leaf NPK uptake.

Materials and Methods
Capsicum annuum L. (Qurtuba cultivar) response to foliar spraying with two different zinc and iron formulations In the fall of 2022, researchers at (coordinate) conducted an experiment using nano fertilizers in a non-heated plastic home on a specialized field.The samples were taken at random from three different places ranging in depth from 0 to 30 cm.There was an adequate merging of the samples.In the special laboratory of the special sectors, a sample was collected for analysis using the techniques described by [15] and [16].Table 1.Showing the characteristics of soil, the plastic house's land was separated into 50 plots after being sterilized, each of which was 150 cm wide (the walkway's width was 100 cm, compared to the channel plot's 50 meters).After 40 days and the development of three to four actual leaves, the plots were irrigated and the resulting seedlings were planted on both sides of the plots on October 15, 2022, with a gap of 40 cm between them in one of the nearby private farms.Then, ten plants were transferred to the controlled environment.The irrigation system was set up a meter from the plastic greenhouse's beginning and end and 10 centimeters above the plot's walking surface.Regular upkeep activities such as replanting, grubbing, and trimming were performed on all of the experimental units.Two batches of mineral fertilizer containing an average of 240 kilograms of ammonium sulfate and 160 kilograms of triple superphosphate were applied to the crop when it was in its vegetative and blooming stages of growth in greenhouses [17].16 analyses of the compatibility between two criteria were included in the study.The first factor contained four different Atonik (growth regulator) concentrations: 0, 25, 50, and 75 mg L -1 .The Nano-Zinc fertilizer was present in four different concentrations in the second factor (0, 2, 4, and 6 gm L -1 ).The process of spraying was done five times, with a 20-day interval between each.Prior to the flowers blooming, the first spraying took place on November 20, 2022.To ensure the stoma would open, the spraying procedure was carried out in the early morning hours before the field had been irrigated the day before.Three replicates of the experiment were carried out using the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD).According to [18], Least Significant Difference (L.S.D.) was used to analyze the data at the 5% confidence interval.Texture Sandy loam Six randomly selected and labeled plants were used to collect information on the following indicators from each experimental unit: The total dry weight of the vegetative (gm) by drying at 70-65 °C in an electric oven and until the weight stability, the chlorophyll content (SPAD Unit) by using a chlorophyll meter, and the leaf content of nutrients elements (NPK) according to [19] should all be measured.The following components were calculated following the digestive process: A) According to [15], the percentage of nitrogen was calculated by the distillation process utilizing Micro-Kjeldahl.The amount of phosphorus was calculated using the [20] method using a spectrophotometer at an 882 nm wavelength.The amount of potassium was calculated using the Flame photometer in accordance with the procedure outlined in [16].

Average Length of the Plant and the Number of Plant Branches
Table 2 demonstrates that compared to the control treatment, pepper plants had substantial changes in both their overall height and their branching structure depending on the amount of foliar spraying with growth regulator (Atonik) and Nano-Zinc.The control treatment (70.4 cm in height and 4.2 branches on average) yielded the lowest averages compared to the growth regulator spraying treatment (75 mg L -1 ).Comparing the control treatment's averages of 73.0 cm and 4.1 branch with those of the spraying treatment's 94.8 cm and 6.0 branch in the same table reveals a striking improvement in both metrics.The data analysis revealed that the interaction between the two parameters had a major effect on the plant's average length and number of branches.The highest values, 106.3 cm and 6.9 branches, were generated by the spraying treatment (75 mg L -1 + 6 gm L -1 ); conversely, the treatment without spraying with the two components generated the lowest average for these parameters.

Average Chlorophyll Content and Nitrogen Ratio in Leaves
Table 4 showed that the amount of foliar spraying with growth regulator (Atonik) and Nano-Zinc used on pepper plants was significantly different from the control treatment.The control treatment resulted in the lowest averages for the two metrics mentioned above (38.4spad and 1.42%), whereas the growth regulator spraying treatment resulted in the greatest averages for the two parameters mentioned above (53.7 spad and 1.85%).Nano-Zn element spraying led to a significant increase in these two parameters, as shown in the same table, with the spraying treatment (6 gm.L -1 ) providing the highest average, amounting to 52.3 spad and 1.78 percent, in contrast to the control treatment, which provided the lowest averages, at 40.7 spad and 1.45 percent, respectively.The data analysis showed that the average leaf chlorophyll content and leaf nitrogen percent both increased due to the interaction of the two components.The greatest values, 58.5 spad and 2.18%, respectively, were generated by the spraying treatment (75 mg L -1 + 6 gm L -1 ).However, the average of these two metrics was found to be lowest in the treatment that did not involve spraying.

Average of the Leaves Content of Phosphorus and Potassium
Table 5 showed that the amounts of foliar spraying for pepper plants with growth regulator (Atonik) and Nano-Zinc leaf content significantly differed from the control treatment.Growth regulator spraying at a concentration of (75 mg L -1 ) produced the two parameters above the greatest values of (0.61% and 2.01%), in contrast to the control treatment, which produced average values of (0.42% and 1.52% sequentially).Table 1 shows that compared to the control treatment, which resulted in significantly lower averages (0.44% and 1.56%), the spraying treatment (6 gm.L -1 ) significantly increased both of the aforementioned parameters.Data analysis showed that the two components' interaction led to a statistically significant rise in the mean phosphate and potassium concentrations in the leaves.The spraying treatment (75 mg L -1 + 6 gm L -1 ) resulted in the highest values, equivalent to (0.67% and 2.23%), while the treatment without spraying with the two variables resulted in the lowest average for these two parameters when applied consecutively.
Table 5.Effect of growth regulator and Nano-Zn fertilizer on leaf phosphorus and leaf potassium.

Leaf Phosphorus % Growth R. mg L -1
Nano-Zn gm L As can be seen in Tables 2, 3, and 5, there were notable variations in vegetative and floral growth indicators in response to varying concentrations of Nano-Zinc fertilizers.The amount of spraying (6 gm.L -1 ) was significantly outdone by the results obtained from measuring plant height, branching, leaf area, dry weight of total vegetative, chlorophyll content in leaves, nitrogen percentage in leaves, phosphorus percentage in leaves, and potassium percentage in leaves.Reason: plants need iron for proper growth and development [21].Zinc is involved in a wide variety of biological functions, from amino acid synthesis and metabolism to enzyme function and accelerated cell division.The coordinated and encouraged growth of the plant is shown in a rise in vegetative growth indices.Nano-Zinc has the ability to cross plant membranes and exert its effect.As a result of increased energy transmission, metabolism, and cell division, plants grow taller, produce more branches, cover more ground, and store more elements in their leaves [22].The zinc component of Nano fertilizer suppresses the oxy tens that support the growth of the Apical growth, which can explain why the plant is putting more energy into producing fruit branches rather than apical growth.Due to tryptophan's involvement in the formation of the growth regulator IAA, nano-zinc has a significant impact on vegetative growth indicators, which in turn influences the increase in cell division and encourages the IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1259/1/0120596 activity of cell membranes and their division, as well as many biological reactions, such as the preservation of plant membranes of oxidation [6].

Conclusion
The growth regulator at 75 mg L -1 increases all plant growth and yield parameters, such as the treatment of spraying with 6 gm L -1 zinc gave the highest value of plant growth parameters and NPK in leaves when compared with no spraying treatment, according to the results of the studied plant parameters.

Table 1 .
Soil characteristics used in the experiment.

Table 2 .
Effect of growth regulator and Nano-Zn fertilizer on plant length and No. of branchs.The Average Leaf Area and the Dry Weight for the Vegetative Total of the Plant Table3shows that the total leaf area and dry weight of pepper plants sprayed with different concentrations of the growth regulators Atomik and Nano-Zinc differed significantly from the control treatment.The growth regulator spraying treatment at a concentration of (75 mg L -1 ) yielded the highest values for the aforementioned metrics, Compared to the other treatments, the control group had the lowest average yields (1763.80cm 2 and 75.0 gm, respectively).Compared to the control treatment, which provided the lowest averages (1847.2cm 2 and 75.4 gm sequentially), nano-Zn element spraying significantly increased both of these parameters, as shown in the same table.The spraying treatment (6 gm.L -1 ) provided the highest average, amounting to 2049.8 cm 2 and 100.5 gm.Statistics reveal that when the two parameters interacted, it led to a notable rise in both the mean leaf area and the dry weight of the plant.The spraying treatment (75 mg L -1 + 6 gm L -1 ) yielded the highest values, at 2257.9 cm 2 and 112.5 gm, respectively, while the control treatment (no spraying) yielded the lowest average values.

Table 3 .
Effect of growth regulator and Nano-Zn fertilizer on plant leaf area and plant dry weight.

Table 4 .
Effect of growth regulator and Nano-Zn fertilizer on leaf chlorophyll and leaf nitrogen.