GREEN SYNTHESIS OF MANGANESE OXIDE NANOPARTICLES USING KIGELIA AFRICANA (LAM.) BENTH. AQUEOUS ROOT EXTRACT AND INFLUENCE ON CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM LINN.) SEED GERMINATION AND PLANT GROWTH.

Use of different seed priming treatments improves seed germination and thus increases plant growth and yield potential. Eco-friendly, cost-effective, simple, and effective seed treatments need to be developed for a high-consuming crop like chickpea (Cice rarietinum Lin.). In the present study, manganese oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using an aqueous extract of roots of Kigelia africana (lam.) Benth and used as nano priming agents for chickpea seeds. The synthesized nanoparticles were found to have rod-like morphology with heterogeneous size distribution. The nanoparticle's average size was found to be 67 nm with a metal content of 52.04 %. The sprout's emergence was found to be high in nanometal-treated chickpea seeds than in untreated and metal treated seeds. The seedling rate after ten days of sowing was found to be high in nanoparticle-treated seeds. The nanometal treatment shows low mean germination time, high germination rate, root length and shoot length of the chickpea compared to untreated samples. The present study results demonstrates that seed priming with manganese oxide nanoparticles could enhance seed germination and growth through an eco-friendly and sustainable nanotechnological approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]