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Effect of Vanadium on Testa, Seed Germination, and Subsequent Seedling Growth of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

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Abstract

Seed germination is the critical initial phase in the life cycle of plant and it is affected by various exogenous factors, including heavy metals. Seed germination and subsequent seedling growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) incubated in glass Petri dish in presence of elevated concentrations of pentavalent vanadium V(V) solution (0, 0.1, 0.5, 2, 4, 10, 50 mg L−1 V, supplied as NaVO3·2H2O) were evaluated. Results showed that vanadium did not (P > 0.05) affect seed germination, final survival rate, and seedling height of alfalfa when exogenously treated dosages were ≤ 10 mg L−1 V, whereas the root vitality and root elongation were distinctly inhibited at ≥ 0.5 mg L−1 V treatments. A progressively deepened testa color at increasing vanadium concentrations during germination and an apparent modified structure of the seed coat at 50 mg L−1 V compared to control in alfalfa were noted. Alfalfa seeds showed rapid and almost synchronous radicle emergence, independently of the vanadium concentration in the medium. The accumulation of vanadium in testa is beneficial to alleviate its toxicity to the seed germination of alfalfa. Leaf proline content was dramatically increased at ≥ 0.5 mg L−1 V treatments compared with the control. Emerged seedlings displayed enough vigor and health to potentially colonize in the vanadium-contained matrix. Thus, alfalfa represents a good candidate for phytoremediation approach aimed at decontaminating environments when vanadium concentrations are within the determined thresholds.

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Acknowledgement

This work was financially supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2018HH0137).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China

    Zhen-zhong Wu & You-xian Zhang

  2. College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China

    Zhen-zhong Wu & Jin-yan Yang

  3. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Yan Zhou

  4. College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China

    Chang-quan Wang

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Contributions

ZW is the main author. He collected all test data, performed statistical analyses, interpreted the results and drafted the manuscript. YZ gave the help in the section of results and discussions of the manuscript. JY gave a lot of help in the paper’s writing and was the leader of our team. CW mainly helped in paper discussion. YZ helped in element chemical states analyzing and paper discussion.

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Correspondence to You-xian Zhang or Jin-yan Yang.

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Wu, Zz., Zhang, Yx., Yang, Jy. et al. Effect of Vanadium on Testa, Seed Germination, and Subsequent Seedling Growth of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). J Plant Growth Regul 40, 1566–1578 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-020-10206-0

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