Green synthesized selenium nanoparticles-based amelioration of Cd toxicity in radish using seed priming

The growth and productivity of vegetable crops are adversely affected by abiotic stress, particularly heavy metals such as Cadmium. A study was conducted in which Raphanus sativus L. was treated with green-synthesized SeNPs to mitigate the adverse effects of Cd. Green synthesized selenium nanoparticle concentrations of 15 mg L-1 (SeNPs-1), 30 mg/L (SeNPs-2), and 45 mg/L (SeNPs-3) were used to prime radish seeds. The optimal concentration of SeNPs was determined to be 30 mg/L, which improved the biochemical (total soluble proteins and proline) and physiological (photosynthetic pigment) characteristics. In comparison to the control, SeNPs-2 increased growth attributes and biomass production at both vegetative and reproductive stages. In addition, compared to the control, SeNPs-2 increased the stomatal conductance (3.31-fold), transpiration rate (85.33%), and net photosynthetic rate (1.95-fold). Proline content was elevated in response to SeNPs-2 + Cd (64.65%) treatment in comparison to SeNPs-2, which were not exposed to Cd stress. Cadmium content was significantly reduced in SeNPs-primed plants compared to Cd-only treated plants. These findings suggest that SeNPs seed priming is a promising, eco-friendly strategy for enhancing Cd tolerance in radish and warrants further field validation.