Silicon regulates growth, yield, physiological responses, and tissue concentration of lead in Brassica campestris L. grown in lead contaminated soil
Research conducted in Faisalabad, Pakistan demonstrates that silicon application improves growth, yield, chlorophyll content, water status, and membrane stability of Brassica campestris grown in lead‑contaminated soil. Silicon reduces Pb uptake in shoots and seeds, enhancing plant tolerance and productivity under heavy‑metal stress.
Subject Tags
- Soils
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination of agricultural land causes serious problems for the ecosystem. Industrial waste, sludge, petrol, fertilizers, paints, and explosive materials contribute to the occurrence of heavy metals, particularly lead (Pb), in the environment, which causes adverse effects on soil, plant, and human health. The accumulation of Pb interrupts plant growth, which becomes a part of the food chain, thereby compromising food safety. Various methods have been used to overcome the toxicity of Pb. Silicon (Si) can be utilized to protect agricultural plants from the damaging impacts of Pb. Brassica species are multipurpose and famous crops cultivated all over the world. Silicon plays a positive role to promote growth, yield, and the physiological attributes of specifically Brassica campestris L. cultivated in soils enriched with heavy metals. The main objective of this study was to assess the beneficial role of Si to promote growth, yield and physiological functions of Brassica campestris L. cultivated in the Pb-contaminated soil by reducing the Pb concentration in plant tissues. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to assess the effect of applied Pb [0 (control), 500 and 1000 mg kg-1 soil] on the growth, some key physiological attributes, and yield of B. campestris at varying levels (0, 200 and 400 mg kg-1 soil) of Si application. The results illustrated that Pb toxicity at 1000 mg kg-1 caused a significant reduction of 27% in total chlorophyll contents, 88.4% in relative water contents, 85.7% in membrane stability index, 37.3% in plant height, 20.9% in root dry weights, and 70.2% in grain yield. The Si application improved physiological and growth parameters and reduced the concentration of Pb in plants. Thus, application of Si at 400 mg kg 1was found to be more effective in alleviating the harmful effects of Pb on the growth and yield of B. campestris grown in Pb-contaminated soil by reducing Pb concentration in shoots and grains.
Citation
Ghafoor, I., Naz, T., Iqbal, M. M., Anwar-Ul-Haq, M., Saqib, M., Qazi, M. A., ... & Battaglia, M. L. (2023). Silicon regulates growth, yield, physiological responses, and tissue concentration of lead in Brassica campestris L. grown in lead contaminated soil. Pak. J. Bot, 55(10.30848).
TNC Authors
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Martin Battaglia
The Nature Conservancy