Green-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles as an Effective Tool for Promoting Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum L.) Growth and Development

Abstract

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an important cash crop and model plant in agriculture. However, it is subjected to a variety of biotic and abiotic stressors that not only affect its growth and development but also reduce its yield and quality. With the increased demand for sustainable and eco-friendly methods in agricultural production, exploring new methods for promoting tobacco growth while ensuring yield and reducing environmental pollution and chemical use has become an important issue in agriculture and tobacco research. In this study, silver nanoparticles (TE/AgNPs) were successfully green synthesized using tobacco extract as a reducing agent. Subsequently, the effects of TE/AgNPs on tobacco growth and development were investigated using seed medium and pot planting cultivation experiments. The results of growth and physiological measurements showed that TE/AgNPs significantly promoted tobacco growth. The molecular mechanisms by which TE/AgNPs promote tobacco growth were explored in depth by combining multi-omics techniques, such as transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics. TE/AgNPs treatment enhanced photosynthesis in plant leaves, altered root metabolites, and subsequently affected the structure of the inter-root microbial community and promoting the enrichment of beneficial flora plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In conclusion, TE/AgNPs exerts its growth-promoting effects by regulating gene expression, metabolic pathways, and the inter-root microbial community in plants. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of green-synthesized nanosilver as a plant growth regulator and offers new ideas and practical guidance for the adoption of environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural production methods.

Keywords: Silver nanoparticles, Green synthesis, Growth-promoting effect, Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), Multi-omics analysis