Water scarcity due to overuse and growing water pollution has led to the need for upgrading of conventional methods of wastewater treatment. The biological synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and their photocatalytic capacity to degrade contaminants offer a promising and environment-friendly approach to municipal wastewater treatment. This technique is advantageous due to its cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and reduction in toxic residual substances. In this study, microbial-synthesized ZnO-NPs were used for the treatment of municipal wastewater. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of treated wastewater for wheat crop cultivation. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from a pre-isolated bacterial strain, namely Shewanela sp., and characterized using UV–VIS, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The results showed that after the treatment of wastewater, the concentration of total dissolve solids (TDS), the chemical oxygen demand (COD), and sulfate and phosphate levels decreased by 76.5%, 57.1%, 81.1%, and 67.4%, respectively. However, the application of treated wastewater increased chlorophyll, carotenoids, and antioxidants by 45%, 40.8%, and 10.5 to 30.6%, respectively. Further, the application of treated wastewater also significantly decreased oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) by 8.1% and 30.1%, respectively. In conclusion, biosynthesized ZnO-NPs could be an important choice to treat municipal wastewater and to improve wheat productivity.

Nanoparticles have potential to mitigate the harmful effects of wastewater in agricultural crop, reducing crop contamination and improving wheat growth and development. However, no information has been reported concerning the impact of seed priming of biogenic MnO-NPs on the germination and physiochemical parameters of wheat crop under wastewater stress condition. The current study examined the impact of primed seed with biosynthesized manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO-NPs) from Bacillus flexus on wheat growth under wastewater stress. This study was conducted in a pot experiment. Wheat seeds were primed with different concentrations of MnO-NPs (0, 20,40, 60, 80, and 100 mg L-1). Primed seeds were sown in wastewater-polluted soil. The pot experiment was conducted for 30 days. The soil in the pots was kept consistently moist, with moisture levels at about 60-70% of the soil's maximum water-holding capacity. Control included seeds without MnO-NP priming. The wastewater contained contaminants such as heavy metals and organic pollutants. The result showed that 80 mg L-1MnO-NP treatment showed a more positive impact in combating wastewater stress. MnO-NPs at 80 mg L-1 positively influenced wheat seed germination parameters up to 57% and growth attributes by 63.75% compared to the control treatment. Moreover, seed priming with MnO-NPs at 80 mg L-1 improved gas exchange attributes by 67%, increased chlorophyll contents by 53.5%, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities: 38% for superoxide dismutase (SOD), 61% for ascorbate peroxidase (APX), 65% for catalase (CAT), and 55% for peroxidase (POD). Meanwhile, hydrogen peroxide(H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and electrolyte leakage (EL) were decreased by 51%, 69%, and 52% respectively. These results demonstrate that primed seed with MnO-NPs can significantly enhance wheat's germination and biochemical attributes under wastewater stress, providing a promising approach for improving crop resilience and productivity in wastewater polluted conditions.

Food safety certifications, such as the Global Good Agricultural practices standard (GGAP), are mandatory for export. This research was conducted as a baseline to study the suitability of this standard in the generic conditions of Pakistan. A questionnaire was prepared based on the Fruit and Vegetable (F&V) module of GGAP. Based on annual turnover, five (5) groups were designed comprising fifteen (15) farmers. Results revealed that the clauses related to simple paperwork were found implementable. However, clauses that needed capital investment and technical records, etc., were declared as not implementable. Results also revealed that a significant number of farmers favoured declaring risk assessment, training, and documents as implementable. Results of record keeping, installation, visual presentation, and infrastructure showed that 42-56% of clauses were implementable. Moreover, in the case of external testing, health safety, and hygiene, 24-37 % of clauses were found to be not implementable. So, based on the results, it can be concluded that a major number of the Global GAP standard clauses were found unsuitable or not implementable in the generic conditions of Pakistan, and there is a dire need to harmonize clauses to create local standards.