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Biochar enhances the cadmium tolerance in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) through modification of Cd uptake and physiological and biochemical attributes

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) has no known role in plant biology and is toxic to plants and animals. The Cd mainly accumulated in agricultural soils through anthropogenic activities, such as sewage water irrigation and phosphorus fertilization. Biochar (BC) has been proposed as an amendment to reduce metal toxicity in plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of BC (cotton stick at a rate of 0, 3, and 5 %) on Cd uptake and the photosynthetic, physiological, and biochemical responses of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) grown in Cd-spiked soil (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg Cd kg−1 soil). The results showed that Cd toxicity decreased growth, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange characteristics, and amino acid and protein contents in 52-day-old spinach seedlings. The Cd treatments increased the concentrations of Cd, sugar, ascorbic acid, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in plants. The application of BC ameliorated the harmful effects of Cd in spinach plants. Under Cd stress, BC application increased the growth, photosynthesis, and protein contents and decreased Cd concentrations and MDA contents in plants. The maximum BC-mediated increase in dry biomass was about 25 % with 5 % BC application in control plants. It is concluded that BC could ameliorate Cd toxic effects in spinach through changing the physiological and biochemical attributes under Cd stress.

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Acknowledgments

This research is part of a Ph.D. thesis of the first author. We acknowledge Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, for financial support. Moreover, we acknowledge the International Foundation for Science and The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for the research funding under grant number C-5591.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Institute of Pure and Applied Biology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan

    Uzma Younis, Saeed Ahmad Malik & Muhammad Hasnain Raza Shah

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Allama Iqbal Road, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Rizwan

  3. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan

    Muhammad Farooq Qayyum, Rabia Abdur Rehman & Niaz Ahmad

  4. Korea Biochar Research Center, Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, 200-701, South Korea

    Yong Sik Ok

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  1. Uzma Younis
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  4. Muhammad Farooq Qayyum
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Correspondence to Muhammad Farooq Qayyum.

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Younis, U., Malik, S.A., Rizwan, M. et al. Biochar enhances the cadmium tolerance in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) through modification of Cd uptake and physiological and biochemical attributes. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 21385–21394 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7344-3

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