If the results of a new research are anything to go by, carbon nanotubes are able fertilizers that can boost germination in plants.
According to a report in New Scientist, the research was carried out by plant biologist Mariya Khodakovskaya and nanotechnologist Alexandru Biris, both at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, US.
They planted tomato seeds in a growth medium that contained carbon nanotubes. They found that the seeds germinated sooner and seedlings grew faster than those in a non-treated medium.
Nanostructures have been reported to boost germination before, but no explanation for the phenomenon has been offered until now. The pair noticed that the nanotubes appear to penetrate the thick seed coat, which would allow water to enter the dry seeds more rapidly. This could explain how they boost germination, according to Khodakovskaya.
