Journal of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences (JEAS). Somroo et al., 2025. 27(3&4): xx-xx
Open Access – Research Article
Impact of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Seed Germination Indices in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under an Integrating Experiment Design
Salma Namitlullha Soomro1,*, Sabeen Rehman Soomro1, Muhammad Aasim2,*
1Department of Plant Production and Technologies, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sivas University of Science and Technology, 58000 Sivas, Türkiye
2Department of Precision Agriculture and Agricultural Robots, Sivas University of Science and Technology, 58000 Sivas, Türkiye
Abstract: Cotton (Gossypium spp.), often referred to as White Gold, is a major fiber and oilseed crop of the Malvaceae family, boasting immense industrial and commercial value. Cotton growth and yield are significantly influenced by rapid and uniform germination. This study was designed to investigate the potential of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to enhance the early establishment of cotton seedlings germinated under controlled conditions. Seeds of two commercially cultivated cotton cultivars in Turkiye (STN-468 and Esperia) were sterilized with 0.1% HgCl2 and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with nine MWCNT concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 mg L⁻¹). The germination data was collected and analyzed using the GerminaR statistical package to compute nine germination indices, including germination percentage (GRP), mean germination time (MGT), germination speed coefficient (GSP), mean germination rate (MGR), uncertainty (UNC), synchronization (SYN), variance of germination time (VGT), standard deviation of the germination time (SDG), and coefficient of variation (CVG) of germination time. The collected data were analyzed using traditional ANOVA with the advanced experimental design approaches, including Taguchi Design and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Low to moderate MWCNT concentrations resulted in a significant enhancement of germination performance, with GRP rising from 67.50% to 85.00% and GSP increasing from 75.2% to 87.2%. MGR improved from 0.752 to 0.872, while MGT decreased by 0.13 days, showing faster germination. UNC increased from 1.435 to 1.920, and SYN rose from 0.238 to 0.315, indicating faster and more coordinated germination. Observed improvements in germination indices declined at higher MWCNT concentrations, potentially due to stress. Integration of multiple statistical tools proved to be efficient for optimization and identifying optimal MWCNT doses. The present research provides new insights into the role of MWCNTs in enhancing cotton plant germination and development, offering an economical approach to increasing cotton yields for sustainable agriculture.
Keywords: Cotton seeds, Germination indices, Design of Experiment (DOE), Response Surface Methodology, Taguchi design
*Corresponding author: Salma Namitlullha Soomro, sn_soomro@hotmail.com; Muhammad Aasim
Cite this article as:
Soomro, S.N., S.R. Soomro and M. Aasim. 2025. Impact of Multi-walled carbon nanotubes on seed germination indices in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum l.) under an integrating experiment design. Journal of Environmental & Agricultural Sciences. 27 (3&4): xx-xx [Abstract] [View Full-Text] [Citations]
Copyright © Soomro et al., 2025. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original author and source are appropriately cited and credited.
Similar Articles Published in JEAS
- Hussain, I., G. Abbas, J. Hussain, Z. Abbas, T. Mehmoos, M. Amer, M.A. Bhatti, S. Hussain. 2023. Optimization of phosphorus and potassium fertilization rates for improving mungbean production under arid agroclimatic conditions of Thal, Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Environmental & Agricultural Sciences. 25 (1&2): xx-XX. [Abstract]
- Nasir, O., S. Ashraf, M.A. Rizwan, A. Javed, K. Amjad, M. Ramzan and R. Bibi. 2023. Conventional and Advanced Wastewater Treatment Techniques; Development of Sustainable Environment and Production of Biofertilizers. Journal of Environmental & Agricultural Sciences. 25 (3&4): [Abstract] [View Full–Text] [Citations].
- Abbas, Z., G. Abbas, J. Hussain, T. Mehmood, M. Amer, S. Hussain and M.N. Ahmad. 2021. Foliar application of macro and micronutrients enhances cotton production. Journal of Environmental & Agricultural Sciences. 23(3 & 4): 1-7. [View Full-Text]
- Naroua, I., S. Issaka, A.K. Saidou, R.A. Issoufou, S.M. Sadi and J.B. Aune. 2020. Effects of fertilizer micro-dosing on grain yield of cereals and legumes in Western Niger, West Africa. Journal of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences.22(2):20-25. [View Full-Text]
References
Akram,
Aasim, M., E.M. Umer, and A. Karim. 2008. Yield and competition indices of intercropping cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) using different planting patterns. J. Agric. Sci. 14: 326–333.
Aasim, M., F. Akin, S.A. Ali, M.B. Taskin, M.S. Colak, and K.M. Khawar. 2023b. Artificial neural network modeling for deciphering the in vitro induced salt stress tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Physiol. Mol. Biol. Plants 29: 289–304.
Aasim, M., S.A. Ali, M.T. Altaf, A. Ali, A.A. Nadeem, and F.S. Baloch. 2023a. Artificial neural network and decision tree facilitated prediction and validation of cytokinin–auxin induced in vitro organogenesis of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult. 153: 611–624.
Alemán-Méndez, M.A., D.K. Tiwari, G. Juárez-Cisneros, S.E. Borjas-García, and J. Villegas. 2024. Oxidizing and functionalizing multi-walled carbon nanotubes enhances germination and biomass in oat (Avena sativa L.). Metallomics 16: ozae044.
Ali, M.H., J.-M. Sobze, T.H. Pham, M. Nadeem, C. Liu, L. Galagedara, M. Cheema, R. Thomas. 2020. Carbon nanotubes improved the germination and vigor of plant species from peatland ecosystem via remodeling the membrane lipidome. Nanomaterials 10: 1852.
Aravind, J., S. Vimala Devi, J. Radhamani, S.R. Jacob, and K. Srinivasan. 2019. Germinationmetrics: Seed germination indices and curve fitting. Zenodo.
Barroso, L.T., T.M. Pereira, A.R.D. Cunha, P.D.O. Paiva, R. Paiva, F.C. Nery, and M.V.D. Reis. 2024. Seed priming with multi-walled carbon nanotubes improves germination and morphology in Clitoria ternatea L. Ornam. Hortic. 30: e242751.
Chhajer, A.K., S. Sen, R. Kumar, N. Singh, V. Wadhavan, P. Sharma, and T. Saini. 2023. Applications of carbon nanotubes in plant growth and development: A review. Res. J. Agric. Sci. 14: 1088–1095.
Dhanuskar, S., S.N. Naik, and K.K. Pant. 2025. Catalytic cracking and deoxygenation of cottonseed oil to yield light olefins over lanthanum-impregnated zeolite catalysts. Sustain. Energy Fuels 9: 868–878.
El-Moslamy, S.H., M.F. Elkady, A.H. Rezk, and Y.R. Abdel-Fattah. 2017. Applying Taguchi design for large-scale biosynthesis of nanosilver and its antifungal activity. Sci. Rep. 7: 45297.
Farhangi, H., V. Mozafari, H.R. Roosta, H. Shirani, and M. Farhangi. 2023. Optimizing growth conditions in vertical farming using the Taguchi method. Sci. Rep. 13: 6717.
Fernández-Gómez, D., J. Campos-García, G. Juárez-Cisneros, S.E. Borjas-García, D.K. Tiwari, J. Villegas. 2024. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with cyclodipeptides improve seed germination and early development of Solanum lycopersicum. Microsc. Microanal.. 30(1): ozae044.1003.
Fonseca, J.D.D.S., E. Wojciechowska, J. Kulesza, and B.S. Barros. 2024. Carbon nanomaterials in seed priming: Current possibilities. ACS Omega 9: 44891–44906.
Francis, D.V., A. Subhan, A.H.I. Mourad, A.K. Abdalla, and Z.F.R. Ahmed. 2024. Optimization of seed germination using nanoparticle priming through Taguchi analysis. Sci. Rep. 14: 15946.
Hao, Y., Y. Yu, G. Sun, X. Gong, Y. Jiang, G. Lv, Y. Zhang, L. Li, Y. Zhao, D. Sun, W. Gu, and C. Qian. 2023. Effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and nano-silica on root development, leaf photosynthesis, active oxygen, and nitrogen metabolism in maize. Plants 12: 1604.
Iqbal, J., M.T. Altaf, M.F. Jan, W. Raza, W. Liaqat, I. ul Haq, and A. Mehmood. 2023. Genetic diversity in cotton genotypes using EST-SSR and ISSR markers. Sarhad J. Agric. 39: 800–814.
Jassim, A.Y., A. Karnwal, G. Pant, A. Gaur, M. Selvaraj, J. Dutta, R.S.K. Sachan, M. Kumar and N. Nesterova. 2025. Harnessing nanotechnology for abiotic stress mitigation in agriculture: a sustainable approach to crop resilience. J. Plant Interact. 20: 2586338.
Koca, A., and M. Aasim. 2015. Establishment of an efficient micropropagation system in bishop’s weed using seed explants. J. Anim. Plant Sci. 25: 478–484.
Kumar, M., M. Tomar, S. Punia, S. Grasso, F. Arrutia, J. Choudhary, S. Singh, P. Verma, A. Mahapatra, and S. Patil. 2021. Cottonseed: A sustainable contributor to global protein requirements. Trends Food Sci. Technol. 111: 100–113.
Li, Y., M. Liu, X. Yang, Y. Zhang, H. Hui, D. Zhang, and J. Shu. 2022. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes enhance antioxidative responses and alleviate salt stress in grape seedlings. Sci. Hortic. 293: 110698.
Lin, J., J. Zhang, G. Zou, X. Zhang, H. Shang, B. Ji, Y. Bai, L. Qu, and Y. Wei. 2024. Enhancing the nutritional quality of defatted cottonseed meal by solid-state fermentation with probiotic microbes. Fermentation 10: 429.
Liu, C., H. Zhou and J. Zhou. 2021. The Applications of nanotechnology in crop production. Molecules. 26: 7070.
Mahakham, W., A.K. Sarmah, S. Maensiri and P. Theerakulpisut. 2017. Nanopriming technology for enhancing germination and starch metabolism of aged rice seeds using phytosynthesized silver nanoparticles. Sci. Rep. 7: 8263.
Maurya, K.K., A.D. Tripathi, D. Kumar, P.S. Panesar, V. Paul, and A. Agarwal. 2024. Standardization of process parameters for enhanced prodigiosin production from wheat bran using Taguchi methodology. Waste Biomass Valorization 15: 6159–6170.
Mousavi, S.M.R., H. Omidi, M.H.B. Keshavarzi, and S.H. Shojaei. 2025. Carbon nanotube-mediated drought stress tolerance in maize based on treatment × trait analysis. J. Plant Growth Regul. 44: 1–12.
Mukhtar, A., M.A. Naseer, M.F. Ali, and S. Jabeen. 2025. Beneficial roles of carbon nanotubes in seed germination physiology. In: Carbon Nanotubes in Agriculture. Academic Press: 27–42.
Mylsamy, P., E. Tamilmani, R. Venugopal, S. Murugaiyan, and U. Ranganathan. 2025. Cotton seed management: Traditional and emerging treatment approaches for enhanced productivity. J. Cotton Res. 8: 7.
Nalwade, A.R., and S.B. Neharkar. 2013. Carbon nanotubes enhance growth and yield of hybrid Bt cotton var. ACH-177-2. Int. J. Adv. Sci. Technol. 3: 840–846.
Orłowska, R., K.A. Pachota, J. Machczyńska, A. Niedziela, K. Makowska, J. Zimny, and P.T. Bednarek. 2020. Improvement of anther culture conditions using the Taguchi method in three cereal crops. Electron. J. Biotechnol. 43: 8–15.
Özkat, G.Y., M. Aasim, A. Bakhsh, S.A. Ali, S. Özcan. 2025. Machine learning models for optimization, validation, and prediction of light emitting diodes with kinetin based basal medium for in vitro regeneration of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). J. Cotton Res. 8: 19.
Razmi, B., R. Ghasemi-Fasaei, A. Ronaghi, and R. Mostowfizadeh-Ghalamfarsa. 2021. Investigation of factors affecting phytoremediation of multi-element polluted calcareous soil using Taguchi optimization. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 207: 111315.
Sahin, G., G. Isik, and W.G. van Sark. 2023. Predictive modeling of PV solar power plant efficiency considering weather conditions: A comparative analysis of artificial neural networks and multiple linear regression. Energy Rep. 10: 2837–2849.
Santo Pereira, A.d.E., H. Caixeta Oliveira, L. Fernandes Fraceto and C. Santaella. 2021. Nanotechnology potential in seed priming for sustainable agriculture. Nanomaterials. 11: 267.
Sharma, A., S.L. Kothari, and S. Kachhwaha. 2023. Impacts of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the growth of pearl millet. J. Appl. Biol. Biotechnol. 11: 170–177.
Shi, J., M. Xun, J. Song, J. Li, W. Zhang, and H. Yang. 2023. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes promote the accumulation, distribution, and assimilation of ¹⁵N-KNO₃ in Malus hupehensis by entering the roots. Front. Plant Sci. 14: 1131978.
Sigala-Aguilar, N.A., L.F. Salomé-Abarca, M.G. López, and F. Fernández-Luqueño. 2024. Bioactive metabolite upregulation in tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.) through non-soil damaging foliar applications of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Sci. Hortic. 338: 113603.
Wang, M., G. Sun, G. Li, G. Hu, L. Fu, S. Hu, and W. Gu. 2024. Effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and nano-SiO₂ on key enzymes for seed germination and endogenous hormone level in maize seedling. Agronomy. 14: 2908.
Yan, Z., T. Li, G. Zou, X. Zhang, L. Qu, and Y. Wei. 2025. Probiotic fermentation of defatted cottonseed meal for sustainable foods and non-food applications. Microorganisms 13: 1020.