Author(s): K. Brindha and C. R. Chinnamuthu

Abstract: The lab experiment was conducted during 2011-12 on purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) to induce the sprouting of buds by degrading the phenolic compounds and exhausting food reserve to reduce the multiplication rate of tubers with Zinc oxide nanoparticles. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) were synthesized by wet chemical method characterized with Transmission Electron Microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope, Particles Size Analyzer, Raman Spectrometer and studied their effect on the degradation of phenols, starch, amylose and germination of dormant buds with different concentrations. A standardization experiment was taken up at the preliminary level with different dosages of ZnO in wet and dry conditions to scale down the treatments to a manageable level of thirteen including the control in each of the nanoparticles used. Results revealed that the presence of high amount of phenol (10.5 mg g-1) in the control treatment, no germination (0%) was recorded whereas the ZnO treated tubers at the rate of 1500 mg kg-1 registered the lower content of phenol (6.0 mg g-1) and the higher percent of germination (80%), longer root, shoot length (20.43 cm, 29.00 cm) and higher vigour index (3954) in dry method. In case of wet method, higher amylose content of 52.0 mg g-1, lower content of starch (108.0 mg g-1), phenol(4.2 mg g-1) with 80 per cent germination, longer root, shoot length (20.00 cm, 29.00 cm) and higher vigour index (3920) was noticed with the concentration of 2250 mg kg-1. The untreated tubers (control treatment) recorded lower amylose content (10.0 mg g-1) with higher phenol (9.9 mg g-1) and starch content of 148.0 mg g-1 with 20 per cent germination.

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