الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 191 |  |  |
| | | from | 191 | | |
Abstract
Two large scale experiments were conducted in which wheat grains were cultivated in either sandy, clay or clay-sandy soil (2:1) and fertilized with increasing levels of either normal NPK fertilizer (bulk material) or nanocomposite NPK fertilizer (chitosan- polymethacrylic acid-NPK) fertilizer. All experiments were designed to investigate the possible effect of using different rates of nano-NPK fertilizer in the regulation of growth, reduce its life cycle by as well as in improving the quality of yielded grains of wheat. The size of prepared chitosan polymethacrylic acid nanosolution in a range between 24.7 to 40 nm. The loading of NPK indicated an increase in the size of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. As compared with control untreated plants, there is significant increase in wheat plants treated with normal NPK fertilizer and nanocomposite NPK fertilizer in all growth and developmental parameters determined. The best treatment of wheat plants was 10% for nanofertilizer and 100 % for normal fertilizer and the best soil type was clay-sandy soil for wheat plants treated with either normal or nano-NPK fertilizer induced the best growth and reproductive parameters. Transmission electron microscopy examination of wheat leaves of treated samples that is foliary applied by nanoparticle indicated the presence of nanoparticles inside phloem tissue, particularly in sieve tube cells and not observed inside the xylem tissues. The life span of the harvested wheat crop foliary applied with nano-NPK fertilizer was 130 days and 170 days for the control and normal fertilized plants. The yielded grains of wheat plants grown on clay-sandy soil, clay soil and sandy soil and fertilized with normal and nano-NPK fertilizer showed significant increase in carbohydrates, protein and N, P and K contents.