(393ab) Facilitating Seed Germination by a Novel Method Using Nanoparticle Electrospray

Attributed to the rapid development of nanotechnology, its applications in many fields such as materials engineering and biomedicine have been extensively studied during past years. However, less research concerning about nanoparticle applications in agriculture has been reported. Here, we first time demonstrated that plant seed germination can be promoted by a novel nanoparticle electrospray technique. Germination rate of some plant seeds (e.g., lettuce seed) could be significantly improved by TiO₂ nanoparticle electrospray. TEM and SEM-EDX images of seed cross section indicated the presence of mono-dispersed nanoparticle inside seed after electrospray treatment. Therefore, mechanisms contributed to seed germination enhancement have been speculated as that electronically dispersed nanoparticles can penetrate through seed coat and create “nano-holes” on seed coats, resulting in improved germination conditions. To verify its practicability, the shelf life test was also performed and significant enhancement effect was still observed on sprayed seeds even one month after the treatment, implying a promising application of this method in agriculture.