Biogenic Synthesis and Nematicidal Potency of Highly Stable Ag and Fe Nanoparticles From Krascheninnikovia ceratoides and Elaeagnus angustifolia.

Managing root-knot nematodes, particularly Meloidogyne incognita, is a significant difficulty in sustainable agriculture because of the environmental toxicity of synthetic chemical nematicides. This study uses leaf extracts of Krascheninnikovia ceratoides (KC) and Elaeagnus angustifolia (EA) to synthesize silver (KC-AgNPs) and iron (EA-FeNPs) nanoparticles in a fast and environmentally friendly manner. The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, and UV-visible spectroscopy, and their UV-visible spectral profiles were monitored for 30 days and under pH and temperature stress. XRD-derived mean crystallite sizes were approximately 56 nm for KC-AgNPs and 31 nm for EA-FeNPs. SEM micrographs revealed quasi-spherical and cubic morphologies for AgNPs, but FeNPs had faceted, polycrystalline tube architectures. FTIR supported the presence of plant-derived surface functional groups but did not identify individual phytochemicals. At a final nanoparticle concentration of 1.000 mg/L, the KC-AgNP and EA-FeNP preparations produced 98% and 70% mortality, respectively, in second-stage juveniles of M. incognita after 72 h. Since matched plant-extract-only controls were not included, the observed activity is attributed to the complete biogenic nanoparticle preparations rather than exclusively to the metallic cores. These findings indicate that biogenic AgNPs and FeNPs derived from K. ceratoides and E. angustifolia are stable and effective alternatives to conventional synthetic pesticides.