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Effect of composted organic amendments and zinc oxide nanoparticles on growth and cadmium accumulation by wheat; a life cycle study

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) availability in arable soils is a serious issue while little is known about the role of co-composted organic amendments and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) foliar spray on biomass and Cd accumulation in wheat grains. The current study investigated the soil application of organic amendment (composted biochar and farmyard manure) at a level of 0, 1, and 2% w/w and foliar spray of ZnO-NPs (0, 100, and 200 mg/L) on biomass, yield, and Cd in wheat grains cultivated in an aged Cd-contaminated agricultural soil. The results indicated that organic amendment increased the biomass, chlorophyll concentrations, yield, and activities of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase of wheat while decreased the electrolyte leakage and Cd concentrations in different parts of wheat such as shoots, roots, husks, and grains. This effect of organic amendment was further enhanced by the foliar spray of ZnO-NPs in a dose-additive manner. Cadmium concentration in grains was below threshold level (0.2 mg/kg DW) for cereals in combined application of 200 mg/L ZnO-NPs and 1% organic amendment as well as in higher treatment (2%) of organic amendment and NPs. Thus, combined use of organic materials and NPs might be a suitable way of reducing Cd and probably other toxic trace element concentrations in wheat and other cereals.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support from Government College University, Faisalabad and Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan under HEC Project No. 5634/Punjab/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2016 is highly acknowledged. The results reported in the study are from PhD dissertation of the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Arooj Bashir, Muhammad Rizwan, Shafaqat Ali & Muhammad Adrees

  2. Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan

    Shafaqat Ali

  3. Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Zia ur Rehman

  4. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Technology Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan

    Muhammad Farooq Qayyum

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  1. Arooj Bashir
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  2. Muhammad Rizwan
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  3. Shafaqat Ali
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  4. Muhammad Adrees
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  5. Muhammad Zia ur Rehman
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  6. Muhammad Farooq Qayyum
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Correspondence to Muhammad Rizwan or Shafaqat Ali.

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Bashir, A., Rizwan, M., Ali, S. et al. Effect of composted organic amendments and zinc oxide nanoparticles on growth and cadmium accumulation by wheat; a life cycle study. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 23926–23936 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08739-8

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