Effect of carbon nanoparticles on the growth and photosynthetic property of Ficus tikoua Bur. plant

Abstract

The application of nanomaterials in different plants exerts varying effects, both positive and negative. This study aimed to investigate the influence of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) on the growth and development of Ficus tikoua Bur. plant. The morphological characteristics, photosynthetic parameters, and chlorophyll content of F. tikoua Bur. plants were evaluated under four different concentrations of CNPs. Results indicated a decreasing trend in several agronomic traits, such as leaf area, branching number, and green leaf number and most photosynthetic parameters with increasing CNPs concentration. Total chlorophyll and chlorophyll b contents were also significantly reduced in CNPs-exposed plants compared to the control. Notably, variations in plant tolerance to CNPs were observed based on morphological and physiological parameters. A critical concentration of 50 g/kg was identified as potentially inducing plant toxicity, warranting further investigation into the effects of lower CNPs concentrations to determine optimal application levels.