Om Prakash Kumawat, K.D. Ameta, R.A. Kaushik, R.B. Dubey and Devendra Jain
Abstract
Silicon (Si) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles have emerged as promising tools for enhancing crop growth and stress resilience, yet their comparative effects on zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) under protected cultivation remain inadequately explored. This study investigated the impact of foliar applications of silica, commercial SiO2) and nano- SiO2 on the growth, yield, and quality of zucchini grown in a naturally ventilated polyhouse at Udaipur, Rajasthan, during 2020-21 and 2021-22 using a completely randomized design with ten treatments. Results showed that nano- SiO2, particularly at 60 mg l-¹ (T9), significantly enhanced vine length and yield in both years, exhibited maximum yield of 3.79 and 3.84 kg m-², and followed by treatment T (30 mg l-¹ nano-SiO) and T6 (60 mg L-¹ commercial SiO2). The control consistently recorded the lowest growth and yield parameters. Although total sugar content was not significantly affected by silicon treatments, slight numerical variation was observed, with the highest values under nano- SiO2 at 15 mg L-¹ (T4). Overall, the findings highlight the superior efficacy of nano- SiO2 in enhancing vegetative growth and yield, underscoring its potential as a beneficial foliar supplement for zucchini production under polyhouse conditions.