Study of nutritional role of silicon nano-particles on physiological characteristics of minituber potato production

In order to Study of nutritional role of silicon nano-particles on physiological characteristics of minituber potato production an experiment was carried out as factorial based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications in hydroponic culture at Ferdowsi University, Mashhad. Treatments were included particle size of sodium silicate (nano and micro) and concentrations in levels of 0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mM. Concentration of 0.3 mM sodium silicate has the highest positive effect on stomatal conductance, maximum chlorophyll fluorescence, quantum yield of photosystem II, yield and number of minituber per plant by 8.3, 6.1, 2.6, 26.6 and 34.5 percent increase, respectively. But, leaf chlorophyll index increased up to 0.6 mM level, significantly. At 0.6 and 0.9 mM, application of nano-particles had negative effect on the quantum yield of photosystem II. At each level of concentration, positive effect of nano-particles on membrane stability index was greater than micro particles and only at the highest concentration, there was no statistical difference between two particle sizes. Minituber yield significantly increased by increasing concentration of micro particles, but positive effect of nano-particles on mentioned trait was up to 0.3 mM. Overall, positive effects of nanoparticles application due to high absorption efficiency, appeared at low concentrations, but, at higher levels it had phytotoxin effects on physiological characteristics and potato yield.