The study examines the impact of Silver-Selenium nanocomposites (Ag-Se NC) on the growth metrics, physiological attributes and antioxidant profiling of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) under bacterial disease stress. The green synthesis of Ag-Se NC was done using neem ( Azadirachta indica ) leaf extract and their effectiveness was tested by foliar application at three different growth stages (one month after germination, flowering and boll formation) at 20 mg/L, 40 mg/L and 60 mg/L concentrations. A control group was also used, and a group where the direct salt concentrations were used, as a negative control. It was found that morphological characteristics like plant height, root length and biomass increased significantly with Ag-Se NC showing the highest effects at 60 mg/L in non-Bt cotton and 40 mg/L in Bt cotton. Interestingly, the use of Ag-Se NC enhanced the production of cotton with 22-24% more bolls on Bt cotton than on untreated plants. Physiologically, Ag-Se NC stimulated the production of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid content with the help of improved photosynthetic efficiency. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) were significantly increased, which means increased stress tolerance. These results indicate that Ag-Se NC do not only enhance cotton growth and yield but also enhance the defense of the plant against bacterial pathogens. In a nutshell, Ag-Se NC are a potential, sustainable alternative to increase cotton crop productivity and disease resistance. Future research needs to be directed towards the optimization of application protocols and the long-term environmental effects to make sure that the safe use of nanomaterials in agriculture can be integrated. • Eco-friendly green synthesis of Silver-Selenium Nanocomposites was achieved using Azadirachta indica L. leaf extract • Ag-Se NC treatment significantly increased the cotton growth and physiology than untreated plants. • The use of Ag-Se NC increased the bacterial stress tolerance by increasing the plant activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD). • The study reveals Ag-Se NC as a viable option to enhance crop productivity and resistant to diseases in cotton.
Hussain et al. (Sun,) studied this question.