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Abstract

Drought induced oxidation stress is a major constraint to global wheat production necessitating sustainable strategies enhanced crop resilience. This study evaluated the effects of green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on wheat under normal and drought conditions. ZnO-NPs were applied as foliar spray and concentrations of 0,50,100,150 and 200ppm in completely randomized design using wheat variety Akbar-2019. Growth physiological and biochemical parameters including plant Hight, root and shoot traits, chlorophyll content, SPAD, and antioxidants’ enzyme activities (SOD & CAT) were assessed. Quantitative results showed that drought stress reduced plant Hight (63.25cm) compared to control (74.15cm) while ZnO-NPs at 100ppm improved plant Hight up to 80.17cm under normal conditions root length increased from 25.00cm (Control) to 33.76cm at 100ppm under drought stress. Root fresh weight improved from 987.23 mg (control) to 1154.56mg at 200ppm, while root dry weight increased from 152.75mg to 192.32mg at 100ppm. Chlorophyll content (SPAD value) increased from 33.25 (control) to 35.96 at 50ppm under drought conditions. Antioxidants, enzymes activities also showed significant enhancement, with SOD activity increasing from 6.25 to 8.21µ/g FW and CAT activity showing a similar upward trend under ZnO-NPs treatments. These findings indicate that ZnO-NPs effectivity mitigate drought induced oxidative stress by enhancing and growth photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant defense systems. The study highlights ZnO-NPs as a promising eco-friendly approach for improved wheat productivity under water limited conditions. Keywords: ZnO-NPs, Drought Stress, Wheat, Antioxidant Enzymes, Foliar application

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