STUDYING EFFECT OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE NANOPARTICLES ON IMPROVING QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF STRAWBERRY (FRAGARIA ANANASSA)

This experiment was conducted to assess the influence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (anatase TiO2 NPs) on strawberry (c.v Queen Eliza and Paroos) in a hydroponic condition. Hoagland solution supplemented with TiO2 NPs at seven concentrations of 0, 1.5, 3.5, 5.5, 7.5, 9.5 and 11.5 mg/l was used. The results indicated that the hydroponically application of anatase TiO2 NPs in the nutrient solution, compared with the control, increased different characteristics of strawberry plant such as chlorophyll content of leaves, weight and size, ascorbic acid, TSS and TSS/TA ratio of the fruit, pH of the fruit extract and yield (gr/plant). The best results were obtained when using a high concentration (11.5 mg/l) of TiO2 NPs