Effects of Irrigation of Crops with NaCl and Heavy Metals Contaminated Water: Case Study, Germination and Survival of Maize and Beans Seeds
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Metal toxicity and soil salinity at excessive levels in soils are toxic to plants. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the effects of water salinity (NaCl) and heavy metal concentration on germination and seedling characteristics of maize and beans seeds. Different concentrations of NaCl (0 to 35000 mg/L) and Zn2+, Cu2+ and Pb2+ with concentrations 0 to 600 μmol/L each were used separately. These solutions were used to irrigate maize and bean seeds for 30 days. Data was taken daily for the following parameters; number of germinated seeds, shoot length, shoot circumference, leaf area index, leaf colors, senescence, and disease occurrences. The crops were uprooted at the end of the 30 days and their wet masses were measured and recorded. Results indicated that seed germination reduced with increase in the concentration of NaCl for both maize and beans with 0% recorded in concentrations of above 500 mg/L. The same trends were observed for other parameters, the shoot length, the leaf area index and the shoot circumference. For the metals, the trends were similar for Cu2+ and Pb2+, but different for Zn2+. The dry masses and wet masses of the crops with higher concentrations of the metals and salts were very low compared to the control experiments. It was concluded from the results that salinity and heavy metals affect the germination and seedling characteristics of maize and beans; though some metals are essential, their presence in higher concentrations instead cause more harm.
Source: Open Journal of Applied Sciences
Institution: University of Bamenda
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4293203911