Synthesis of Nanoparticles from Trichoderma harzianum and Its Effect on Germination and Growth Parameters of Potato for Management of Late Blight

Potato is one of the most important vegetable crops of the Solanaceae family, valued for its nutritional value. It is severely affected by Late blight, causing heavy yield losses. The present study evaluated the efficacy of synthesized silver (Ag) and copper oxide (Cu) nano particles from Trichoderma harzianum, on growth parameters of potato under field conditions during 2023-24 and 2024-25. Results revealed that the treatments significantly improved germination, shoot and root length, as well as fresh and dry biomass compared to control. Among treatments, Ag NPs @125 ppm (T4) consistently performed best, recording maximum germination (98.85% and 99.05%), longest shoot (58.37 and 60.25cm) and root length (14.82 and 1.90cm), highest number of branches (9.10 and 9.46) and leaves (35.05 and 36.06), showing substantial increases over control. The findings highlight the superior potential of AgNPs and CuNPs as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fungicides for enhancing growth and vigor of potato plants.