Combined application of zinc and iron-lysine and its effects on morpho-physiological traits, antioxidant capacity and chromium uptake in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.).

Ihsan Elahi Zaheer,Muhammad Hamzah Saleem,Shafaqat Ali,Xiukang Wang,Hafiza Sana Yousaf,Muyassar H Abualreesh,Aishah Alatawi,Zohaib Abbas,Afifa Malik,Muhammad Rizwan,Saqib Bashir

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0262140

Ihsan Elahi Zaheer, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262140

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Abstract

Environmental contamination of chromium (Cr) has gained substantial consideration worldwide because of its high levels in the water and soil. A pot experiment using oil seed crop (rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)) grown under different levels of tannery wastewater (0, 33, 66 and 100%) in the soil using the foliar application of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe)-lysine (lys) has been conducted. Results revealed that a considerable decline in the plant growth and biomass elevates with the addition of concentrations of tannery wastewater. Maximum decline in plant height, number of leaves, root length, fresh and dry biomass of root and leaves were recorded at the maximum level of tannery wastewater application (100%) compared to the plants grown without the addition of tannery wastewater (0%) in the soil. Similarly, contents of carotenoid and chlorophyll, gas exchange parameters and activities of various antioxidants (superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) were also reduced significantly (P < 0.05) with the increasing concentration of tannery wastewater (33, 66 and 100%) in the soil. In addition, a combined application of Zn and Fe-lys reduced the accumulation and uptake of toxic Cr, while boosting the uptake of essential micronutrients such as Zn and Fe in different tissues of the plants. Results concluded that exogenous application of micronutrients chelated with amino acid successfully mitigate Cr stress in B. napus. Under field conditions, supplementation with these micronutrient-chelated amino acids may be an effective method for alleviating metal stress in other essential seed crops.

Highlights

Contamination of soil with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a pressing and complex problem intensely felt worldwide, in densely industrialized and populated areas [1,2,3,4]
This study aims to address this issue and to add knowledge about (i) the role of Zn and Fe–lys on plant growth, fresh weights, dry weights, chlorophyll contents, gas exchange characteristics, oxidative stress and antioxidant response and (ii) uptake and accumulation of Fe, Zn and Cr in different parts of B. napus when cultivated with wastewater rich in Cr concentration
Various growth parameters were studied in B. napus grown in different levels of tannery wastewater (0, 33, 66 and 100%) under the application of Fe and Zn-lys

Summary

Introduction

Contamination of soil with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a pressing and complex problem intensely felt worldwide, in densely industrialized and populated areas [1,2,3,4]. Rapid growth of industries and manufacturing operations like smelting, melting, electroplating and mechanical set-ups leads to the extensive contamination of soil with contaminates like abovementioned PTEs [5,6,7,8]. Copious public health distress rises if food products grown on such polluted soil come into national markets, which exposes of the wider population to PTEs contamination [11]. Reuse of wastewater as a renewable resource for irrigation can be a sustainable approach to mitigate the ever-increasing irrigation caused water scarcity around the globe [15, 16]. Depending upon the wastewater resources, it may contain non-biodegradable pollutants such as lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, mercury, and arsenic [17]

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