IMPACT OF TITANIUM-DIOXIDE AND ZINC-OXIDE NANOPARTICLES IN IMPROVING WHEAT PRODUCTIVITY UNDER WATER STRESS CONDITIONS.

Agricultural areas worldwide suffer immensely due to the rapid depletion of irrigation water. Applying the proper nutrients can alleviate the harmful effects of water stress. This field study transpired to evaluate the influence of both titanium-dioxide (TiO2) and zinc-oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (Gimeza-12 and Sids-13) under water irrigation requirements (WIR) of 100% and 75% WIR. Water stress reduced yield attributes and mineral contents but increased protein, gluten, Zeleny sedimentation index, flavonoids, antioxidant activities, and WP. All used concentrations of TiO2-NPs and ZnO-NPs induced positive responses for all tested parameters compared with non-treated corresponding controls under well-watered and drought-stress conditions. Treatment with 10 mg L-1 of ZnO-NPs followed by 10 mg L-1 TiO2-NPs gave the highest values of all studied yield parameters in plants subjected to 75% WIR for both cultivars compared to other controls. The results showed that the Gimeza-12 cultivar, which had the highest grain yield, was more tolerant to drought than the Sids-13 cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]