Garlic (Allium sativum) based interplanting alters the heavy metals absorption and bacterial diversity in neighboring plants

Abstract

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that have a high atomic weight and let out in the environment by agriculture, industry, mining and therapeutic expertise and thrilling amassing of these elements pollutes the environment. In this study we have investigated the potential of garlic interplanting in promoting hyper accumulation and absorption of heavy metals to provide a basis for phytoremediation of polluted land. Monoculture and inter-plantation of garlic were conducted to investigate the absorption of cadmium and lead contamination in the land. A group of experiments with single planting (monoculture) of Lolium perenne, Conyza canadensis and Pteris vittata as accumulators were used. The results have shown that garlic has a potential as a hyper accumulate and absorb heavy metals. It was found that the accumulation of Cd and Pb was much higher with inter-planting. Garlic boosts up the absorption of heavy metals in Lolium perenne of Cd 66% and Pb 44% respectively. The Inter-planting of garlic with Pteris vittata promotes the Cd 26% and Pb 15%. While the maximum accumulation of Lead 87% and Cadmium 77% occurred in Conyza canadensis herb plant. The bacterial diversity in the soil was analyzed for each experimental soil and was found that the Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes were commonly abundant in both single planting (monoculture) of ryegrass and interplanting ryegrass with garlic habitats. Variances were observed in the bacterial floral composition of single (monoculture) and intercropping (interplant) soils. Relative abundance of bacterial taxa revealed that the proportion of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria in the inter-planting group was slightly higher, while Firmicutes and Planctomycetes were low. This study provides the evidence to control the heavy metals contaminated soils with weed species. Growth promotion and heavy metal uptake of neighboring plants proved the specific plant-plant and plant-microbial associations with garlic plants. This inter-planting strategy can be used to improve heavy metal absorption.

Mechanisms underlying cereal/legume intercropping as nature-based biofortification: A review

“…Several studies confirmed that the agronomic practice of intercropping is a valid approach for the removal of HM from contaminated soils through releasing root exudates, modulating soil microbial community, and production of more biomass (Bian et al 2021;Hussain et al 2021;Zou et al 2021). Intercropping also increases the resistance of plants to heavy metals through the reduction of plant oxidative damage and increase of antioxidant activity.…”

Novel NARC-G1 garlic: comparative allicin quantification with morpho-biochemical & genetic profiling

“…Pakistan is known to have extensive water and soil contamination of heavy metals. Different agricultural practices including the irrigation of sewage water resulting in penetration of heavy metals in the food chain (Waseem et al, 2014;Nawab et al, 2015;Hussain et al, 2021). Because of current study's limitations, agronomic practices i.e., the soil health and water irrigation practices were not focused thus, the elemental analysis revealed the contamination of toxic heavy metal (Cd).…”

Assessment of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Soil and Garlic Influenced by Waste-Derived Organic Amendments

“…It is the ideal approach to evaluate the relative contrasts between a concentration of toxic metals in farmland and in vegetables [ 4 ]. A higher incentive for an exchange remainder shows that vegetables have higher potential for the accrual of toxic metals [ 5 ]. Upper layers of soil contain excessive heavy metals that are easily taken up by plants in contrast to essential nutrients.…”

“…The Sargodha is a major agriculture- (wheat, rice, sugarcane, fodders, vegetables, and citrus) producing region in Punjab, Pakistan. Different organic amendments such as poultry waste, sugarcane press mud, and farmyard manures are extensively used in agriculture to increase crop yield [ 3 , 5 , 8 , 9 , 11 ]. However, the fate of heavy metals (e.g., Cr, Pb, Co, As, Cu, and Cd) deposited from such practices has not been sufficiently investigated.…”