EFFECT OF LEAD AND CADMIUM IN IRRIGATION WATER AND FOLIAR APPLIED MALIC ACID ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH, FLOWERING AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SALVIA SPLENDENS PLANTS (A) EFFECT OF LEAD

Abstract

The present study was carried-out at Antoniadis Botanical Garden Research Branch, Horticultural Research Institute, A.R.C., Alexandria, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2018 and 2019. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water contaminated with lead on Salvia splendens plants grown in a sandy soil, for possibilities of using malic acid spray treatments to overcome the effects of lead pollution. Seedlings of Salvia splendens were planted individually in plastic pots (20 cm diameter) filled with 5 kg of sandy soil. Four concentrations of lead 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/l were applied in the irrigation water. The plants were treated with malic acid at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 mg/l by monthly spraying in both seasons. The results showed that for vegetative and flowering growth parameters, there was no significant interaction between lead concentrations and foliar spray by malic acid, while a significant reduction was observed in all parameters after irrigation with contaminated water with lead and a significant increase in vegetative and flowering growth parameters was observed after 500 mg/l malic acid application. For chlorophyll and carbohydrate contents, the highest significant values were obtained from plants irrigated with tap water and sprayed with 500 mg/l malic acid while the highest significant lead content in leaves, stem and roots was obtained in the treatment of 300 mg/l without application of malic acid.

Keywords

• salvia splendens
• lead
• malic acid
• polluted irrigation water
• phytoremediation