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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/ETERM/35
Comparative growth response and nickel absorption by leguminous and non-
leguminous plants irrigated with nickel contaminated water

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Ahsan Ali , M. Sabir , Saifullah , Sadia Bibi , Hamaad Raza Ahmad and G. Murtaza
1 Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
Correspondence: cmsuaf@gmail.com
Abstract
Contamination of agricultural soils with heavy metals is a big emerging threat for soil and plant
health around the globe. Heavy metals (HMs) being non-biodegradable are more toxic and
posing major threats to the yield and quality of crops and also to the environment. Nickel (Ni)
is one of the most abundant heavy metals on earth's crust and makes its way to the food chain
through its vast natural and anthropogenic sources. This study was conducted to evaluate the
comparative growth responses and absorption patterns of Ni in leguminous (soybean) and non-
leguminous (spinach) crops that was irrigated with Ni-contaminated water. At the Institute of
Soil and Environmental Sciences University of Agriculture Faisalabad, a pot experiment was
conducted having 5 treatments with 3 replications of each was arranged in a completely
randomized design. Nickel was applied through irrigation water at the rate of control, 5 mg Ni
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L , 10 mg Ni L , 15 mg Ni L , and 20 mg Ni L . Different parameters (physiological and
agronomic) like relative water content, leaf chlorophyll content, root length, plant height, root
weight, and shoot weight were recorded at the vegetative and harvesting stages. Root and shoot
parts of both crops was harvested and Ni concentration was analyzed by Atomic Absorption
Spectrophotometer (AAS) after preparing their samples through standard analytical processes.
Maximum shoot length was observed in T2 treatment that was 28.25 and 62.59 cm for spinach
and soybean respectively. Minimum shoot length was observed in T5 treatment which
was14.73 and 37.43 cm for spinach and soybean respectively. Maximum shoot fresh weight
17.79 g per pot for spinach and 16.40 g per pot for soybean was observed in T2 treatment. Plants
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amended with 5 mg kg of Ni in treatment T2 showed maximum shoot dry weight (5.21 g per
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pot in spinach and 5.62 g per pot). Maximum root length was observed in 5 mg kg of Ni in
treatment T2 root length 12.40 cm and 23.31 cm for spinach and soybean respectively. Highest
SPAD value of 46.67 in spinach and 44.00 in soybean plants was recorded in T2 treatment
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which contained Ni @ 5 mg L . The maximum concentration of Ni was 17.29 mg kg and
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13.65 mg kg for soil in spinach and soybean. The maximum concentration of Ni was 79.02
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mg kg and 62.37 mg kg for spinach and soybean. The maximum concentration Ni was 66.87
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mg kg and 51.98 mg kg in spinach and soybean respectively. The minimum concentration
of Zn was observed in the T5 treatment receiving no Ni in the soil and that was 0.164 and 0.228
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mg kg for both crops. The minimum concentration of Ni was observed in the contaminated
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treatment receiving high Ni in the soil and that was 0.36 and 0.51 mg kg for both crops. The
minimum concentration of Zn was observed in the Ni contaminated treatment receiving high
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concentration Ni in soil that was 0.33 and 0.38 mg kg . Nickel significantly affects the growth
and nickel concentration in both plant species.
Keywords: Nickel; leguminous; soybean; contaminated water

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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