Effects of the nanoherbicide made up of atrazine-chitosan on the primary events of photosynthesis

•Nano-capsules of chitosan and alginate were synthesized as carriers of atrazine.•The empty nanocapsules were innocuous for the target and non-target plants.•The nanoherbicide consists of atrazine loaded in chitosan-alginate nanocapsules.•The nanoherbicide produced similar effects to commercial atrazine in plants.•The transient OJIP effectively evaluated the effects of nanoherbicide on plants.