Mitigating negative impacts of salinity on seed yield and its components in three divergent sesame varieties grown under salinity soil stress conditions using nanoparticle-based micronutrients

Soil salinity stress is a common and dangerous issue threatening crop productivity worldwide, especially sesame production. Therefore, the objective of our study was to verify the effectiveness of micronutrient application in the form of nanoparticles for mitigating the negative impacts of soil salinity stress on divergent three sesame varieties production. For this purpose, two experiments were conducted at Sahl-El-Hussinia Research Farm Station, El-Sharkia Governorate, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt, during the summer seasons of 2022 and 2023. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement with three replications at each site. The main plots were treated with nanoparticles of micronutrients at three rates of 0.00 to 0.25 up to 0.50 g L-1 FeZnMn-nano, while sub-plots were planted with three distinct sesame varieties (Shandaweel 3, Giza 32, and Sohag 1) at each site. The main effects of sites with varying salinity degrees, micronutrients in nanoparticles, and sesame varieties, along with their dual and triple interactions were found to be highly significant on seed yield and its components. Shandaweel 3 was more salt-tolerant variety and it was suitable for growing under salt stress. The application of 0.25 and 0.50 g L-1 FeZnMn-nano was found to be more efficient in alleviating salinity consequences and increasing 1000-seed weight by 7.46% and 19.24%, seed weight per plant by 7.78% and 13.15%, seed yield per feddan by 7.20% and 12.60%, and seed oil content by 3.16% and 8.35%, respectively, when compared to the non-application for all studied sesame varieties under salt stress. Therefore, the application of nanoparticle-based micronutrients has been shown to effectively mitigate the negative effects of salinity on sesame seed yield, especially in salt-sensitive varieties. Moreover, Shandaweel 3 can be recommended under salinity stress by adding 0.50 g L-1 FeZnMn-nano to achieve high seed yield and its components, thus making it a recommended choice for this purpose.