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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/ETERM/32
Mitigating the lead toxicity in Brassica napus by silicon application

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Hafiz Mohkum Hammad , Samina Kousar , Hafiz Faiq Siddique , Saira Afzal , Abu Bakr Umer
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Farooq , Ghulam Mustafa Shah
1 Department of Agronomy Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan
Pakistan
2 Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus-
61100, Pakistan
Correspondence: sairaafzal.es@gmail.com
Abstract

Increased plants tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses may play a vital role for future
food sustainability. To living organisms, lead (Pb) induces wide range of toxic effects such as
physiological, biochemical and morphological. The study was designed to explain the role of
silicon (Si) in ameliorating the Pb toxicity in Brassica napus (canola). The experimental
treatments: T1 = Control, T2 = 2 mM Si, T3 = 200µM Pb and T4 = 200 µM Pb + 2 mM Si were
applied und hydroponic system. The results revealed that under Pb stress, Si nutrition showed
very promising effects by significantly increasing the biomass and elongation of root. The Pb
induced toxicity and its negative effects on the canola growth were prominent. A very obvious
difference in the concentration of Pb has been observed in the root and shoot being highest in
the roots of plant dry biomass. Furthermore, Si application under Pb stress, reduced Pb
concentration and its uptake by roots and shoots of Canola. From the above results it was
concluded that Si ameliorated the Pb toxicity in canola by in-planta (immobilizing Pb in the
root) and ex-planta mechanisms (decreasing Pb availability to plants) and reduced the Pb
concentration in roots and shoots.

Keywords: Brassica napus; Lead; Canola

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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