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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/ETERM/44
Integrated potential of PGPR and biogas slurry on spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)
growth and yield attributes under chromium stress

Nafeesa Muslim1,2, Muhammad Javed Akhtar2. Muhammad Yahya Khan2,3. Muhammad
Jamil1, Naseem Akhter 1, Kiran Yousaf4, Naseem Sharif5, Muhamad Umar Hayat Khan1,
1Soil and Water Testing Laboratory Sahiwal, Soil Fertility Research Institute, Punjab
2Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040,
Pakistan
3Department of Soil Science, Sub-campus Burewala (Vehari) University of Agriculture,
Faisalabad
4Soil and Water Testing Laboratory Okara, Soil Fertility Research Institute, Punjab
5Citrus Research station, Sahiwal, Ayub agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad

Correspondence: nafeesamuslim94@gmail.com
Abstract

Unplanned municipal disposal, mining and leather industries are the major Cr contamination
sources in our country. In spite of other conventional techniques an eco-friendly bioremediation
can be used to address this issue in our agricultural soils. In present study, a pot experiment
was conducted to assess the potential impact of Bacillus subtilis and BGS on spinach growth
under Cr+6 stress. For this purpose, three concentrations of chromium (20 mg kg-1 soil, 40 mg
kg-1 soil and 60 mg kg-1 soil) were evaluated by using biogas slurry level (800 kg ha-1) with
bacterial inoculation. The statistical analysis of data revealed that 22 % increase in plant height
was observed with combined application of Bacteria and BGS in Cr contaminated soil. In case
of chromium contamination, (20, 40 and 60 mg kg-1 soil) combine application of metal
resistant bacteria and biogas slurry was excellent for increasing fresh shoot weight by 7.8 %,
8.8% and 11.25% respectively when compared with only contaminated soils. Overall, it was
evident from results that combine effect of plant growth promoting bacteria and biogas slurry
(BGS) not only reduced the Cr uptake concentration in plants but also significantly enhanced
the spinach growth parameters when harvested at 45-, 65- and 90-days interval.

Keywords: Plant growth promoting bacteria, biogas slurry (BGS), Cr, Bacillus subtilis

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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