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Effect of heavy metal pollution on mineral absorption in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids

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Abstract

The present study was conducted in a potted experiment to examine the effects of chromium pollution on absorption of mineral nutrients and some morpho-physiological attributes of two sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids (FH-331 and FH-259) in the presence and absence of ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) used as a chelating agent. Four concentrations of chromium (Cr3+) i.e., 0, 20, 30 and 40 mg kg−1 with and without 0.3 g kg−1, EDTA as chelating agent were applied to 25-day-old sunflower plants. A gradually decreasing trend in absorption of all minerals and other parameters studied were observed. Different treatments of Cr3+ as well as Cr3+ and EDTA significantly reduced root and shoot fresh weight; however, root, shoot and achene Cr3+ contents of two sunflowers hybrids under higher chromium and EDTA stress varied significantly whereas movement of Cr3+ contents to leaves was non-significant. Absorption of Na+, K+, N2 and P through roots and shoots significantly reduced with increasing concentration of Cr3+ treatments. In fact addition of EDTA to the medium further enhanced the toxicity of chromium.

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Acknowledgments

I am extremely thankful to my colleges at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad for their cooperation during this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Unaiza Aslam, Mumtaz Hussain & Sabahat Jalal

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Iftikhar Ahmad, Ameer Khan, Abdul Ghani & Irfan Mustafa

  3. University Colleges of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

    Muhammad Anjum Aqeel

  4. Department of Botany, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Murree Road, Shamsabad, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

    Saira Asif

  5. Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Park Road, Chak Shahzad, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Haroon Ahmed

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  1. Unaiza Aslam
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  2. Iftikhar Ahmad
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  3. Mumtaz Hussain
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  4. Ameer Khan
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  5. Abdul Ghani
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  6. Irfan Mustafa
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  7. Sabahat Jalal
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  8. Muhammad Anjum Aqeel
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  9. Saira Asif
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  10. Haroon Ahmed
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iftikhar Ahmad.

Additional information

Communicated by M. Prasad.

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Aslam, U., Ahmad, I., Hussain, M. et al. Effect of heavy metal pollution on mineral absorption in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids. Acta Physiol Plant 36, 101–108 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1390-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1390-y

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