Application of Silver and Copper Oxide Nanoparticles As Growth Stimulants for Willow Plants Obtained by the Method of Clonal Micropropagation

Currently, the development of technologies to improve the efficiency of existing micropropagation techniques remains relevant. This work contains the results of studying the effects of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) of spherical shape (20–40 nm) and CuO of flocculent morphology (diameter 50 to 200 nm, thickness 10–20 nm) on brittle willow plants and the assessment of their biological effects using the method of clonal micropropagation. At the multiplication stage, Ag and CuO NPs at a concentration of 3 μg/L increase the number of surviving and sterile microclones to 100%, and the shoot height was on average 27% higher than the control at concentrations of 1.5 and 3 μg/L. At the rooting stage, an increase in the number of rooted seedlings under the influence of Ag is noted. In in vivo experiments, brittle willow seedlings treated with a Ag solution at a concentration of 3 μg/L have the best resistance to nonsterile greenhouse conditions. The number of surviving microclones is 7% higher than the control values and the number of established plants is 27% higher. The height of the plants after 3 weeks is 5.3 cm, while for the control this figure is 4.8 cm. This study shows the prospects for using the studied NPs to stimulate the growth and development of willow plants in vitro and in vivo.