Drought stress (DS) is a primary environmental factor that limits the production of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe). Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been shown to enhance drought resistance in ginger by modulating water relations. However, the specific impact of SiNPs on the antioxidant and glyoxalase system responses to DS remains unclear. To investigate the impact of SiNP100 on photosynthetic and antioxidant metabolism in ginger under DS, four treatments were designed in this study: control (CK), drought stress (DS), silica nanoparticles (SiNP100) application, and the combined treatment of DS and SiNP100 (DS + SiNP100). The results showed that SiNP100 alleviated DS-induced damage by improving photosynthetic parameters, chlorophyll content, and the efficiency of photosystems I and II. DS significantly increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and methylglyoxal (MG), thereby inducing oxidative stress. SiNP100 mitigated this effect by reducing ROS accumulation and enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). Furthermore, SiNP100 boosted the ascorbate–glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle by increasing the activities of key enzymes (APX, DHAR, MDHAR, and GR) and upregulating the expression of ZoDHAR2, ZoAPX1, and ZoGR2. This leads to higher ascorbate and glutathione levels in ginger. SiNP100 also bolstered the glyoxalase system, as evidenced by increased activities of glyoxalase I (Gly I) and glyoxalase II (Gly II), alongside the upregulation of ZoGLY1 expression, thereby promoting methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification. In conclusion, SiNP100 enhances drought tolerance in ginger by reinforcing the antioxidant defense system, AsA-GSH cycle, and methylglyoxal detoxification system, thereby protecting photosynthetic metabolism and promoting growth.

Ginger possesses both significant edible and medicinal value. Sprouting of ginger is a critical phase that influences the yield and quality of the crop. While silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are known to promote the growth of ginger, their impact on sprouting remains unclear. The results show that sprouting 100 mg L⁻¹ SiNPs (SiNP100) significantly improved ginger sprouting rate and respiratory intensity while reducing weight loss. It also elevated fructose, sucrose, and glucose contents, as well as sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SS), neutral invertase (NI), acid invertase (AI) activities, indicating that SiNP100 is associated with enhanced sprouting by modulating sugar metabolism. Concurrently, starch content decreased and α- and β-amylase activities increased. Hormonal profiling showed that SiNP100 increased auxin (IAA), trans-zeatin (TZR), isoamylalkenyladenin (IP), and gibberellic acid (GA₃) levels, while decreasing abscisic acid (ABA), further supporting its role in promoting sprouting. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR validated that SiNP100 significantly enriched the plant hormone signal transduction and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways, upregulating genes related to sugar transport and metabolism (ZoSweet7, ZoSSIVa, ZoSPS1, and ZoSUS5). Field trials over two consecutive years confirmed that SiNP100 application improved ginger growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant capacity, and ultimately yield and quality. This study demonstrated the potential of SiNPs to improve seed sprouting and promote ginger growth under field conditions.