Application of super absorbent polymer and ascorbic acid to mitigate deleterious effects of cadmium in wheat

Abstract

The growing use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides can cause potential contamination with heavy metals to soil and groundwater, posing environmental and health threats. Heavy metals can also affect crop yield. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to explore the role of ascorbic acid foliar application and soil-applied super absorbent to mitigate adverse effects of cadmium (Cd), in terms of biochemical parameters in wheat. The experiment was installed in a completely randomized design, with treatments arranged in a factorial scheme with three levels of super absorbent polymer (0 g kg-1, 4 g kg-1 and 8 g kg-1 of soil) by three levels of ascorbic acid (0 mM, 50 mM and 100 mM), with four replicates. The Cd contamination caused a significant increase in the accumulation of Cd in leaves and seeds, as well as in antioxidant enzymes activity and lipid peroxidation. It also decreased seed weight and chlorophyll content in wheat plants. The super absorbent increased seed yield (22.68 %), seed weight (19.31 %), chlorophyll (27.97 %) and ascorbic acid content (65.51 %), while it reduced the Cd accumulation in leaves (34.27 %) and seeds (32.97 %), as well as antioxidant enzymes activity and lipid peroxidation (43.77 %). Similar results were found when ascorbic acid was applied. Ascorbic acid increased seed yield, seed weight and chlorophyll content by 12.62 %, 17.66 % and 13.17 %, respectively. As a result, the super absorbent polymer and ascorbic acid could improve the survival capacity and yield of wheat plants in response to Cd contamination in the soil.

Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Plant Growth Regulation: Implications in Abiotic Stress Tolerance

“…AMF association with wheat positively increased nutrient uptake under aluminum stress (Aguilera et al, 2014). Plants grown on soils enriched with Cd and Zn exhibit considerable suppression in shoot and root growth, leaf chlorosis, and even death (Moghadam, 2016). There are many reports in the literature on uncovering the AMF-induced effects on the buildup of metals in plants (Souza et al, 2012; Table 1 ).…”

Implications of abiotic stress tolerance in arbuscular mycorrhiza colonized plants: Importance in plant growth and regulation

“…Heavy metals can accumulate in various fruits, crop plants, vegetables, and soil posing a threat and causing a wide range of health problems [73,74]. In the soil where cadmium and zinc are quite abundant, suppresses root and shoot growth, results in leaf chlorosis, and even kills plants [75]. A fungal hypha of external and internal origin [76] can immobilize the heavy metals in the cell wall, storing some of them in vacuoles, or chelating them with substances in the cytoplasm [77] and reducing their toxicity significantly in plants.…”

Advantages of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Production for the Profitability of Agriculture and Biofertilizer Industry

“…Accumulation of heavy metals in food crops, fruits, vegetables, and soils are very hazardous [28]. Plants grown on soils with excessive Cd and Zn exhibit considerable suppression in shoot, root growth, leaf chlorosis, and even death [29]. AMF associations have shown fortified growth and crop yield under aluminum stress and other metals [30].…”