CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF GERMINATION PERCENTAGE AND EARLY GROWTH PARAMETERS OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum) UNDER SEED NANO-PRIMING WITH GREEN-SYNTHESIZED CuO NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

This study explored the effects of seed nano-priming using green-synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs), prepared from Mimosa pigra leaf extract, on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) germination and early growth. CuO NPs were synthesized via plant-mediated bioreduction and characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, SEM, XRD, and FTIR. UV-visible analysis showed a surface plasmon resonance peak at 224 nm, while SEM revealed nanoscale morphology averaging 108 nm. XRD confirmed a crystalline monoclinic structure with peaks at 32.59°, 35.6°, 36.49°, 38.73°, and others, indexed to (110), (002), (111), (202), (311), and (220) planes (JCPDS 45-0937). FTIR spectra showed Cu–O vibrational bands in the fingerprint region (560.42–595.45 cm⁻ ¹), supporting nanoparticle formation. Tomato seeds were treated with CuO NP suspensions (0–1000 ppm) and evaluated for germination percentage, root length, shoot length, and fresh weight. Higher concentrations generally reduced seedling vigour. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between fresh weight and root length (r = 0.779, p < 0.05), moderate with germination percentage (r = 0.695), and weak with shoot length (r = 0.248). These results suggest that biomass accumulation is more closely linked to root development than shoot elongation. The study highlights the potential of CuO NPs in seed priming and recommends optimizing concentrations for improved seedling performance and further field-level evaluation.