Experiments show coating rice seedling with nanoscale carbon dots from durian helps rice plants thrive in salty soil

Extreme weather and pollution have increased the salt content in some soil, making growing conditions harsh for salt-sensitive crops like rice. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano detail a possible solution that doesn't require genetic modification to make rice plants thrive in these conditions. In lab experiments, they determined that coating rice seedlings with magnesium-doped carbon dots—derived from durian peels—increased the seedlings' antioxidant activity and photosynthesis, reducing the stress caused by salty soil.