Silver Nanoparticle Synthesized from Hibiscus sabdariffa Leaf Extract Enhanced Certain Agromorphological and Yield Traits in Groundnut Landraces in Niger State

Abstract

The demand for groundnut production has been on the increase over the years due to rising demand for raw oil seeds. However, efforts have been made during the past decades by researchers to address this challenge with little success. Nanotechnology has offered a great promise in improvement of crops with little or no impact on the environment. Base on this premises, the effect of varying concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm) of silver nanoparticles from Hibiscus sabdariffa leaves on agro morphology and yield traits of three different groundnut accessions (GNT-MNA-001, GNT-MNA-002 and GNT-MNA-003) was evaluated. The experiment was laid out in a 3 by 5 factorial arrangement using complete randomized design in four replicates at the experimental garden, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria. The highest plant height was recorded in genotype GNT-MNA-002 at 25 ppm with a mean value of 27.70 which is significantly higher than the value obtained from the other treatments. Highest number of pods per plant (13.8, 16.18 and 17.6) were recorded in 0 ppm treated plants within the three accessions; GNT-MNA-001, GNT-MNA-002 and GNT-MNA-003, respectively. Lowest width of pod per plant was found at 25 ppm in GNT-MNA-001 with the mean value of 1.55 which was significantly lower than the value recorded in the other treatments. Furthermore, there is a significant difference in hundred seeds weight recorded, with 75 ppm concentration having the lowest value of (42.11, 38.17 and 41.79) seeds weight in all the three accessions (GNT-MNA-001, GNT-MNA-002 and GNT-MNA-003, respectively). Hence, varying concentrations of biosynthesized nanoparticle have shown to possess the tendency to influence certain morphological and yield trait in groundnut accessions.