Magneto-Priming Seed Treatments as a Green Engineering Strategy to Enhance Triticale Tolerance to Nanoparticle Stress

Nanoparticles have been extensively studied due to their rapid development and increasing application in agriculture; however, the potential of magnetic fields to mitigate the toxic effects of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) remains unexplored. Magneto-priming can enhance seed performance without chemical inputs, contributing to green engineering, resource efficiency, and environmental sustainability. This study assesses the effectiveness of magneto-priming in enhancing triticale tolerance to ZnO-NP stress under both direct seed exposure and soil leachate treatments. Germination performance, seedling growth, root system development, and seedling vigor were assessed to characterize both phytotoxic effects and the mitigating role of magneto-priming. Direct seed exposure to ZnO-NPs reduced germination and slightly promoted root elongation at low doses, reflecting localized phytotoxicity. Magneto-priming increased shoot length by 28%, root length by 13–15%, roots per seed by 13%, and the Seedling Vigor Index (SVI) by 29% under direct exposure, promoting more balanced early seedling development. However, in soil-leachate assays, where nanoparticle mobility and bioavailability were limited, magneto-priming reduced germination, SVI, and shoot length while enhancing root traits, indicating a system-dependent trade-off. Overall, these results highlight that the benefits of magneto-priming in mitigating ZnO-NP stress are context-specific, with clear positive effects under direct exposure but mixed responses under leachate conditions, emphasizing the importance of the exposure pathway in early seedling establishment strategies.