Impact of gibberellic acid GA3, quantum dot biochar, and rhizosphere bacteria on fenugreek plant growth and stress responses under lead stress

Abstract

Lead (Pb) is a stress that can cause problems with several aspects of a plant’s metabolism, potentially impeding the plant’s ability to grow and develop. The use of gibberellic acid (GA3), quantum dot biochar (QDBC), and rhizobacteria (RB) can be effective methods to overcome this problem. Gibberellic acid is a crucial plant hormone that regulates plant growth, cell division, tissue differentiation, flowering, photosynthesis, and transpiration rate. It also significantly impacts crop resilience to stress, affecting plant morphology, enzymatic activity, and physiology. Biochar, a soil supplement, enhances plant development soil health, and reduces stress effects. Due to its large surface area and porosity, it increases soil water-holding capacity, nutrient retention, and microbial activity. Quantum dots, semiconductor nanoparticles, have been proposed as a potential method to alleviate plant stress by acting as antioxidants, reducing oxidative stress, and controlling nutrient and growth regulators. Rhizobacteria, soil bacteria in plant roots, stimulate plant growth, nutrient absorption, and harvesting capacity. They produce phytohormones, increase mineral and nitrogen accessibility, and can induce systemic resistance (ISR), affecting plant defense. This study investigates the effects of combining GA3, QDBC, and RB as amendments to fenugreek, both with 500 Pb stress and without Pb stress. Treatments (control, 0.25 GA3mg/L-QDBC, 0.5 GA3mg/L-QDBC, 0.25 GA3mg/L-QDBC + RB, and 0.5 GA3mg/L-QDBC + RB) were applied in six replications using a completely randomized design. Results demonstrate that the combination of 0.5 GA3mg/L-QDBC + RB with 500 Pb stress led to significant enhancements in fenugreek shoot fresh weight (15.62%), root fresh weight (73.53%), shoot dry weight (24.00%), and root dry weight (36.53%) compared to the control. Additionally, there were notable improvements in chlorophyll a (57.23%), chlorophyll b (19.21%), and total chlorophyll (36.23%) compared to the control under Pb stress, also showing the potential of 0.5 GA3mg/L-QDBC + RB with 500 Pb stress. The study suggests that combining 0.5 GA3mg/L-QDBC + RB with 500 Pb stress can effectively mitigate Pb stress in fenugreek.