The present-day study investigated the effect of different nanofertilizer concentrations on growth and seed yield-related traits and the percentage of essential oil in the seeds of the black cumin (Nigella sativa L.), carried out during the crop season of 2019–2020 at the University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq. The experiment was in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The nanofertilizer at a 20 mg/L concentration has a significant impact on the black cumin (N. sativa L.) plants and improved the growth, seed yield, and biochemical traits, i.e., plant height (40.38 cm), 1000-seed weight (3.48 g), seed yield per plant (5.55 g), seed essential oil (0.42%), percentage of mineral elements (Nitrogen-5.48%, potassium-1.02%, and zinc-4.00%), and biochemical compounds in the leaves (carbohydrates-4.34%, protein-6.00%, and peroxidase-0.95) compared with the least values for the said traits in the control treatments, i.e., 33.92 cm, 1.65 g, 3.77 g, 0.13%, 3.02%, 0.28%, 2.23%, 2.76%, 4.05%, and 0.23, respectively. However, nanofertilizer levels had nonsignificant effects on the number of branches, leaves, and capsules per plant and the percentage of phosphorus and abscisic acid. Therefore, nanotechnology has established itself as a multidisciplinary and pioneering problem-solving technology in agricultural and allied sciences.
Black cumin (N. sativa L.), nanofertilizer, growth and seed-yield traits, essential oil, macro-elements, carbohydrates, abscisic acid (ABA), proteins
The nanofertilizer (20 mg/L) has significantly impacted the black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) plants and improved the growth and yield-related traits, percentage of mineral elements, and biochemical traits in the leaves.