FOLIAR APPLICATION OF NANO ZINC-OXIDE CAN ALLEVIATE THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF WATER DEFICIT ON SOME FLAX CULTIVARS UNDER DROUGHT CONDITIONS

This research was carried out under field conditions to study the effect of foliar application of zinc-oxide nanoparticles on some physiological, yield components and quality attributes of four flax cultivars under different irrigation treatments. Three irrigation treatments were applied through three separated irrigation experiments each season. Each irrigation experiment was carried out using a split-plot design with three replications. The four cultivars were plotted in the main plots. However, nano-zinc oxide treatments were arranged in the sub-plots. Irrigation treatment IT3 (Irrigate two irrigations after life irrigation) had superiority and ranked the first for all straw yield traits, no. of capsules per plant, seed and oil yields per hectare, fiber length and fiber yield per hectare. However, irrigation treatment IT2 (Irrigate one irrigation after life irrigation) recorded the highest total fiber percentage. The data showed that, Sakha 3 gave the highest values for plant height, technical stem length, fiber length, fiber fineness, total fiber percentage and fiber yield per hectare, while, Giza 11 and Giza 12 recorded the highest values of main stem diameter and straw yield per hectare. Besides, Sakha 5 scored the highest number of capsules per plant, seed and oil yields per hectare and oil percentage. One irrigation treatment (IT1) gave the lowest concentrations of chlorophyll a and b, while, the highest levels of proline, CAT and PDX were recorded. With respect to nano-zinc oxide application, foliar spray of Zinc oxide nanoparticles induced a significant increment in all straw, oil and fiber traits except fiber fineness. Application of the highest concentration of zinc-oxide NPs (100 mg/Litre) recorded the highest values of the previous mentioned traits.