Response of Jatropha curcas Plants to Foliar Applied Ascorbic Acid for Decreasing the Harmful Effect of Cadmium Pollution in The Irrigation Water

Abstract

The present study was carried-out at Antoniades Research Branch, Horticultural Research Institute, A.R.C. Alexandria, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2014 and 2015. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water contaminated with cadmium on Jatropha curcas plants grown in sandy soil and the possibility of using ascorbic acid spray treatments to overcome the effects of cadmium pollution. Seedlings of Jatropha curcas were planted individually in plastic pots (30 cm diameter) filled with 8 kg of sandy soil. The contaminated irrigation water treatments were four concentrations of cadmium 0,100, 200 and 300 mg/l were applied. The plants were also sprayed with ascorbic acid at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 mg/l by monthly spraying in both seasons. The results showed that for vegetative growth parameters there was no significant difference in the interaction between cadmium concentrations and foliar spray by ascorbic acid. While a significant reduction was observed in all parameters after irrigation with cadmium contaminated water and a significant increase in vegetative growth parameters was observed after 500 mg/l ascorbic acid application. For chlorophyll and carbohydrate content, the highest significant value was obtained from plants irrigated with tap water and sprayed with 500 mg/l ascorbic acid while the highest significant amount of cadmium content in leaves, stem and roots was obtained from the treatment 300 mg/l cadmium without application of ascorbic acid.