Ultrafine and Ionic Forms of Silver: Assessment of the Effect on the Growth of Wheat Seedlings of Triticum aestivum and Prospects for Use as New Plant Protections

The possibility of using ultrafine silver forms as biocidal components of new generation pesticides has been studied. The effect of ultrafine silver particles and its ionic forms on the growth of Triticum aestivum L. has been studied. The effects of ionic forms were evaluated using the example of chelate – glycinate and silver nitrate. Ultrafine silver particles were obtained by the “green synthesis” method by reacting silver nitrate with quercetin and adding a 5% ammonia solution. The sizes of Ag nanoforms have been confirmed by the dynamic light scattering method. It was shown that small amounts of ultrafine silver particles did not have a depressing effect on germination and biochemical parameters of plants. Silver nitrate at a concentration of 8.493 × 10–4 g/l slowed down the growth and development of Triticum aestivum, and the effect of silver glycinate on vital, morphometric, and biochemical parameters of the culture correlated with its content in solution. The concentration of 8.427 × 10–3 g Ag+/l almost completely suppressed the germination of wheat, and when it decreased to 1.053 × 10–3 g Ag+/l, the negative effect of glycinate weakened. Nitrates, chelates and ultrafine Ag particles showed pronounced fungicidal and bactericidal effects, which, against the background of the absence of phytotoxicity of the metal nanoform, indicated the prospects of its use for pre-sowing seed treatment. From the economic side, the low concentration of ultrafine particles in the solution will help reduce the cost of the final product.