Study of Biocontrol Efficacy of SiO2 Nanoparticles Combined with PGPR (Pseudomonas spp. and Bacillus spp.) against Rhizoctonia solani in Tomato Plants

Abstract

Silica nanoparticles have been found to improve rhizosphere microbial diversity while suppressing pathogenic microorganisms by modifying community composition and increasing beneficial taxonomic abundance, hence aiding disease resistance. In the present study, the effect of silicon dioxide Nanoparticles (SiO2 -NPs) combined with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the seedling (Morphological) characters and stomatal function of Tomato plant Variety (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. PKM-1) were studied. The experiment was carried out from the month of October-2025 to November-2025 in Green House at Botany Section, School of Sciences, MANUU. Where healthy and uniform sized-seeds were selected for sowing in pots and they were treated with inoculum and PGPR at 4-leaf stage. The treatments were labelled as control (Untreated), PGPR alone, Combined SiO2 NPs + PGPR with three replications each. The results indicated that all the growth parameters shown highest mean values for the plants treated with SiO2 NPs + PGPR,  which is followed by PGPR alone followed by the control (Untreated).The ANOVA results indicated that all the treatments were found to be significant. The functioning of stomata was observed to be advantageous to the tomato plants treated with combined SiO2 NPs + PGPR when compared with PGPR alone treated plants and control (Untreated) plants.