Impact of Nanotechnology from Nanosilica to Mitigate N and P Deficiencies Favoring the Sustainable Cultivation of Sugar Beet

Abstract

This research aimed to study the effects of the nanosilica supply on Si absorption and the physiological and nutritional aspects of beet plants with N and P deficiencies cultivated in a nutrient solution. Two experiments were performed with treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme in randomized blocks with five replications. The first experiment was carried out on plants under a N deficiency and complete (complete solution with all nutrients), combined with the absence of Si (0 mmol L−1) and the presence of Si (2.0 mmol L−1). In the other experiment, the plants were cultivated in a nutrient solution with a P deficiency and complete, combined with the absence (0 mmol L−1) and the presence of Si (2.0 mmol L−1). The beet crop was sensitive to the N and P deficiencies because they sustained important physiological damage. However, using nanosilica via fertigation could reverse the damage. Using nanotechnology from nanosilica constituted a sustainable strategy to mitigate the damage due to a deficiency in the beet crop of the two most limiting nutrients by optimizing the physiological processes, nutritional efficiency, and growth of the plants without environmental risks. The future perspective is the feasibility of nanotechnology for food security.