24th-27th September, 2017: International Conference On Functional Nanomaterials and Nanodevices, Budapest, Hungary

[Z. Klencsar]

The International Conference On Functional Nanomaterials and Nanodevices was held during the days September 24-27, 2017, in Budapest, Hungary. On the conference Zoltán Klencsár presented a lecture regarding the preparation and characterization of (Mn,Zn)-ferrite and ferric-oxide-hydroxide / hematite nanoparticle based systems, and their application as micronutrient source for cucumber plants grown in hydroponics.

Nanoparticle systems developed for plant nutrition: their composition, structure and effects on cucumber plants

Zoltán Klencsár 1, Viktória Kovács Kis 1, Sándor Stichleutner 1, Zoltán May 2, Zoltán Sándor 2, Ervin Gy. Szabó 2, Eszter Bódis 2, László Szabó 2, Krisztina Kovács 3, Ernő Kuzmann 3, Zoltán Homonnay 3, Fruzsina Pankaczi 4, Zsuzsanna Farkas 4, Ádám Solti 4, Ferenc Fodor 4, Gyula Tolnai 5

1 Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
2 Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
3 Institute of Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
4 Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
5 1116 Budapest, Fehérvári út 168., Hungary

Micronutrients such as Fe, Mn and Zn are essential for the proper physiological function and healthy development of plants. Their deficiency caused, e.g., by limited availability due to unfavorable soil quality conditions, such as high soil pH, can lead to diminished quantity and quality of plant biomass, and corresponding drop in agricultural crop production [1]. In particular, due to the not readily available iron content of the soils, approximately 30% of the world’s arable agricultural lands are iron limited, and constraints related to Mn and Zn are also regarded as serious nutritional problems for plants grown on calcareous and alkaline soils. As plants represent the major iron source in human nutrition, iron deficiency or disturbed iron homeostasis of plants also entails one of the most prevalent nutritional challenges for the world’s human population [2]. As a possible way to alleviate shortage of availability of micronutrients to plants, application of nanoparticle-based fertilizers may be considered as a viable and possibly superior alternative to traditionally applied chemicals. Namely, nanoparticles may form stable colloid suspensions in pore waters of soils, thereby having direct enough access to plant roots for their ingredients becoming utilized by the plant. But at the same time, due to their particulate nature, nanoparticles can be expected to be less prone to become subject to wash-out from the soil than ordinary (non-particulate) chemicals. On the other hand, nanoparticles have a high-enough surface area to be sufficiently reactive in chemical interactions with plant root secretions, while their interior volume can still retain an extra reservoir of micronutrients, and thereby ensure an extended time period in which the corresponding fertilizer is effective. In the present work we report about the preparation and characterization of (Mn,Zn)-ferrite and ferric-oxide-hydroxide / hematite nanoparticle based systems, as well as about their application as micronutrient source for cucumber plants grown in hydroponics.

Acknowledgement
Financial support from the National Research, Development and Innovation Office - NKFIH/OTKA (K115913 and K115784) is gratefully acknowledged.

References
1). Abadía J, Vázquez S, Rellán-Álvarez R, El-Jendoubi H, Abadía A, Álvarez-Fernández A, López-Millán AF, Plant. Phys. Biochem. 49 (2011) 471-482.
2). J. Jeong, M.L. Guerinot, Trends in Plant Science 14 (2009) 280-285.