عدم كارادى ناتواكسيدووى دوابجاد مقأومت به تغش خثكى دونهارهاى!#أله آترييلكس (Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.)

Background and objectives: Given the low precipitation and frequent occurrence of droughts in Iran, it is crucial to devise basic plans and identify new methods to mitigate the effects of drought on fodder production resources. Saltbush (Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt.), extensively cultivated in Iran for desert restoration, is one such plant. Methodology: To investigate the effects of nano-zinc oxide and its efficacy in creating resistance to drought stress on the growth and physiological variables of one-year-old saltbush seedlings, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications. The experimental treatments included seed nano priming using nano-zinc oxide at concentrations of 0, 30, 100, 300, and 1000 mg/liter, and drought stress at four levels of field capacity: 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%. Results: The results showed that as soil moisture decreased, the growth characteristics of seedlings, including the number of branches, leaves, collar diameter growth, fresh and dry weight of aerial parts, and fresh and dry weight of roots, decreased. The highest values of these characteristics were observed in the 80% treatment and the lowest in the 20% field capacity. With increasing drought stress, leaf physiological characteristics such as chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, and proline increased. The investigation into the effect of nano-zinc oxide on the growth characteristics and physiology of saltbush seedlings revealed that this nanoparticle significantly affected only chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll, and proline. The highest amount was observed in the control seedlings, and the lowest was in the nano-zinc oxide treatment with a concentration of 1000 mg/liter. Conclusion: In general, due to the very insignificant effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles observed in this research, their use to increase the resistance of saltbush to drought stress is not recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]