Effect of Foliar Application of Phosphorus, Zinc, and Silicon Nanoparticles along with Mineral NPK Fertilization on Yield and Chemical Compositions of Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.)

The traditional techniques of adding fertilizers to soil have a number of drawbacks in regard to the availability of nutrients for plants. The foliar application of nanoparticles causes them to be absorbed easily, and consequently, this is the most efficient method of dealing with nutritional deficiencies, reducing rice disease, and enhancing crop production and quality. Moreover, by using less fertilizer on the soil, it minimizes environmental pollution and improves the efficiency of nutrient utilization. In order to assess the impact of foliar applications of phosphorus, zinc, and silicon nanoparticles (PNPs, ZnNPs, and SiNPs) combined with mineral nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizers as a basal application on the Egyptian Giza 179 rice variety, a field experiment was carried out in two consecutive growing seasons: 2019 and 2020. With four replications, a Randomized Complete Block Design was applied, which included N₁₆₅:P₃₆:K₆₀ (Recommended NPK; 165 Urea: 36 P₂O₅: 60 K₂O kg ha⁻¹); N₁₁₀:P₂₄:K₄₀ (²/₃ NPK); ²/₃ NPK+ PNPs₁₀₀₀; ²/₃ NPK+ PNPs₃₀₀₀; ²/₃ NPK+ PNPs₅₀₀₀; ²/₃ NPK+ ZnNPs₂₅; ²/₃ NPK+ ZnNPs₅₀; ²/₃ NPK+ ZnNPs₁₀₀; ²/₃ NPK+ SiNPs₅₀; ²/₃ NPK+ SiNPs₁₀₀; ²/₃ NPK+ SiNPs₂₀₀; and N₀:P₀:K₀. Results indicated that the grain yield (10.05 and 9.79 t ha⁻¹) and straw yield (13.68 and 12.45 t ha⁻¹) in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, respectively, as well as the yield attributes, chemical compositions in the plant, and milling characteristics, were significantly altered by the application of ²/₃ NPK+ Zn₅₀NPs without any significant difference in comparison to the N₁₆₅P₃₆K₆₀ treatment. Moreover, ²/₃ NPK+ P₃₀₀₀NPs and ²/₃ NPK+ Si₂₀₀NPs recorded positive effects on all studied characteristics. The findings of this study will be useful for future investigations, including the use of nanofertilizers in rice.