Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Fruit Quality of Oranges in Orange Trees with Greening Disease

Abstract

     This research was to study the effects of silver nanoparticles on fruit quality of orange in orange trees with greening disease by comparing with the application of ampicillin at an orange orchard, Mae Taeng district, Chiang Mai province. The experiment was conducted by using completely randomized
design (CRD) on 6 treatments 3 replications, and each replication consisted of 3 orange trees. The treatments applied 15,000 ppm of ampicillin and silver nanoparticles were applied at concentrations of 30, 60, 90, 120 and 300 ppm. The results showed that silver nanoparticles at 300 ppm resulted in orange trees with greening disease having a fruit drop rate of only 6.98 percent. In terms of fruit diameter, fruit circumference, fruit fresh weight, soluble solids content (TSS) juice, titrated acid content (TA), the ratio of soluble solids to titrated acid content (TSS/TA) and vitamin C content showed that the applications of ampicillin and silver nanoparticles in all treatments were not statistically different. The application of silver nanoparticles at a concentration of 90 ppm was likely to produce similar results to ampicillin. From the experiment, silver nanoparticles could be an option for treatment, in case orange trees with greening disease in the future.