Stimulating and toxic effects of copper and cobalt nanopowders on rice seedlings

Metal nanopowders have a stimulating effect on the growth and development of plants. The biological activity of nanoparticles depends on size, concentration, and chemical composition. Nanoparticles require further study because they have a wide range of applications in medicine and agriculture. Being biocompatible, copper and cobalt can play the role of growth stimulant, are not toxic and can be used for contact with living systems. The object of study was rice, as an economically important culture. The study addressed the effect of cobalt and copper nanoparticles on the germination and development of rice seedlings. The optimal concentration of ultrafine solutions of these nanopowders for pre-sowing treatment of seeds was determined. Although copper and cobalt have different chemical nature, the nanoparticles show similar impact and doze-dependent effect. Minimum concentrations of the nanoparticles had a positive effect on the morphological and biometric indicators of sprouts. The activity of oxidase enzymes was measured and it showed a reversible nature of oxidative stress. An increase in superoxide dismutase activity and a decrease in catalase activity by less than 30% indicates the stress resistance of rice sprouts and the absence of phytotoxic effects of the nanopowders. The presence of these metals in the seedling homogenate was determined to define the toxic effect. The electron microscopic analysis of the partition of metals in the tissues of experimental plants did not reveal significant deviations from control values. The experiments were performed using scientific equipment of Regional Center for Collective Use of Probe Microscopy in Ryazan State Radio Engineering University.