Selenium–nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots increase rice seedling growth and salt resistance

Soil salinity seriously affects the utilization of farmland and threatens the crop production. Here, a selenium-nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots was developed, which increased rice seedling growth and alleviated its inhibition by salt stress by foliar spraying. The treatment activated Ca2+ and jasmonic acid signaling pathways and increased iron homeostasis, antioxidant defense, and cell wall development of rice seedlings. It could be used to increase crop resistance to environmental stress.