Due to the rising global population, changing weather patterns, environmental pollution, and excessive energy and water demands, the world's food production is under immense pressure (Kah et al. 2019; Krishnamoorthi et al. 2022a). Without the widespread application of fertilizers, contemporary agricultural practices cannot satisfy the rising demand for nutrition. Due to their limited ability to draw nutrients from the soil and transport them to the plant body, traditional fertilizers are insufficient (Subramanian et al. 2015). To address issues related to economic development and starvation, agricultural science must advance (Caron et al. 2018).
Recently, nanotechnology has become a reliable and effective method for sustainable agriculture, including smart nanocarriers for macro and micronutrients, pesticides, and fertilizers (Ahmed et al., 2021; Suganya et al., 2022; Hassanisaadi et al., 2022). In order to significantly boost crop production, researchers have recently concentrated on enhancing and using NPs related to fertilizers. Because of their distinct characteristics, diminutive size, and less toxic and environmentally unfriendly nature, NPs have drawn a lot of attention. The effectiveness of various NPs, including silver, gold, copper, molybdenum, iron, and zinc, has been determined by numerous studies, though (Suganya et al., 2018; Malaikozhundan et al., 2022; Suganya et al., 2022).
Among them, molybdenum (Mo5O14) nanoparticles (NPs) possess unique structural, optical properties and exist in two forms like molybdenum (IV) and molybdenum (VI) oxides. Molybdenum oxide has high melting point, good conductivity, and high catalytic activity (Wang et al., 2011). The Mo5O14 has wider applications in various fields viz., biosensors (Dhas et al., 2021), super capacitor electrodes (Thangappan et al., 2018; Chinnaiah et al., 2022), lubricants (Tang et al., 2018), photo-catalysis (Ahmed et al., 2021), and agricultural sector (Badawy et al., 2018). Molybdenum oxide NPs prepared with different morphologies such as nanorods, nanobelts, nanofibers, and nanotubes (Rana et al., 2022).
Molybdenum oxide NPs have been prepared by several physical, chemical, and biological methods have been used for synthesis of NPs (Ahmed et al. 2021). The green synthetic methods play a very significant role in nanotechnology especially dealing with the biological application as these are cost-effective, eco-friendly and have negligible contamination (Hussain et al. 2019). The methods for the synthesis of NPs very important for size distribution, size control and shape control. The green method of synthesis systems controls the nanocrystalline properties of various metals ions under influence of the biological reagents. Among them, Eisenia fetida earthworm have numerous enzymes, proteins and bioactive compounds. It was responsible for reduction, capping and stabilizing agent for NPs synthesis.
In some locations around the world, the soil naturally contains minimum level of molybdenum. Peat and heavily weathered soils with low nutrient levels are other environments where this can happen. Mo has been acknowledged as a crucial micronutrient for plants for a very long time. Despite only being necessary in trace amounts, this element is crucial for plant metabolism (Abbasifar et al., 2020). Therefore, green synthesis of Mo5O14 NPs by using vermiculture, it found to be easy, eco- friendly and cost effective. Moreover, the present study to characterize the Mo5O14 NPs by using UV-visible spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) and Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, in vitro evaluation on seed germination of Vigna radiate using Mo5O14 NPs and their analysis the plant growth parameters.