Improvement of Yield and Quality of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), Some Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants Activity in Response to Zn-Nano Fertilizer in Different Irrigation Regimes

ABSTRACT

Peanut, as an oilseed, have high nutritional value for humans and livestock and poultry. The seed yield (SY) of peanut decreases under drought stress conditions, and the zinc (Zn) nano-fertilizer can reduce the negative impacts of water deficiency on peanut plants and improves its SY. This experiment carried out as split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Astara, Iran, during the 2018 and 2019 cropping seasons. Three irrigation regimes at 50 mm (IR₅₀), 75 mm (IR₇₅) and 100 mm (IR₁₀₀) evaporation from class A evaporation pan in main plot and three levels of Zn nano-chelate, including 0.5 g. l⁻¹; (Zn_0.5), 1 g. l⁻¹; (Zn₁) and 1.5 g. l⁻¹; (Zn_1.5) in sub plot, comprised experimental treatments. The results indicated that the highest pod yield (PY), SY, oil yield (OY) and protein yield (PRY) of peanut (3633, 2900, 1582 and 826 kg. ha⁻¹, respectively) were obtained in response to Zn nano-chelate with a dose of 1.0 g. l⁻¹ in IR₅₀ treatment. Nonetheless, under foliar spraying of Zn₁ and severe drought stress conditions (IR₁₀₀) were observed the highest proline (14.84 µmol g⁻¹ FW), superoxide dismutase (53.42 Unit mg⁻¹_proteinmin⁻¹), catalase (72.87 nmol mg⁻¹_proteinmin⁻¹), peroxidase (64.17 nmol mg⁻¹ _protein min⁻¹), soluble sugar content (172.04 mg g⁻¹ FW), soluble protein content (114.16 mg g⁻¹ DW) and anthocyanin pigments (11.20 µmol g⁻¹ FW). Generally, application of Zn₁ treatment, through increasing antioxidant enzymes activity and non-enzymatic antioxidants, improved peanut SY. Hence, foliar application of Zn nano-chelate could be recommended to enhance peanut yield.

KEYWORDS:

• Biochemical responses
• enzymatic activity
• peanut
• water deficiency
• Zn nano-chelate

Acknowledgements

This research was performed in the experimental field of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Guilan, which is gratefully acknowledged. The authors acknowledge technical assistance from the staff of Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (Karaj Iran), Crop and Horticultural Science Research Department, and Astara Research Station for assistance in producing the peanut cultivar and project implementation.

Abbreviations

Irrigation (IR), zinc (Zn), Irrigation at 50 mm evaporation from class A evaporation pan (IR₅₀), Irrigation at 75 mm evaporation from class A evaporation pan (IT₇₅) and Irrigation at 100 mm evaporation from class A evaporation pan (IR₁₀₀), Zinc 0.5 g.l-1 (Zn_0.5), Zinc 1 g.l-1 (Zn₁) and Zinc 1.5 g.l-1 (Zn_1.5), leaf anthocyanin content (LAC), Reactive oxygen species (ROS); Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Peroxidase (POD), Leaf chlorophyll index (LCI), Proline value (PV), Seed yield (SY), Protein yield (PRY), Oil yield (OY), Soluble sugar content (SSC), Soluble protein content (SPC).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).