Biochar supplementation regulates growth and heavy metal accumulation in tomato grown in contaminated soils

Biochar application has recently gained increased attention to reclaim heavy metal degraded soils. In this context, the present study investigated the effects of biochar on the growth regulation and heavy metal accumulation in tomato grown on contaminated soils. A two‐factorial design with factor A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physiologia plantarum 2021-09, Vol.173 (1), p.340-351, Article ppl.13414
Main Authors: Alam, Intikhab, Alam, Mehboob, Khan, Anwarzeb, Haq, Saeed‐ul, Ayaz, Aliya, Jalal, Abdul, Bhat, Javaid Akhter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accumulation
Bioavailability
Charcoal
Design factors
Factorial design
Fruits
Gardens & gardening
Health risk assessment
Health risks
Heavy metals
Metals
Plant growth
Soil amendment
Soil contamination
Soil degradation
Soil investigations
Soil pollution
Soils
Supplements
Tomatoes
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Summary:Biochar application has recently gained increased attention to reclaim heavy metal degraded soils. In this context, the present study investigated the effects of biochar on the growth regulation and heavy metal accumulation in tomato grown on contaminated soils. A two‐factorial design with factor A including three treatments with mine (contaminated soil) and garden soil in the following ratio viz., T1 = 1:2, T2 = 1:1, and T3 = 2:1, and garden soil only as control; whereas factor B consists of biochar amendments at three levels viz., B1 (3%), B2 (6%), and B3 (9%). Our results revealed significant negative effects of heavy metal‐contaminated soil on plant growth, and besides resulted heavy metal accumulation in tomato fruit. Tomato plants showed maximum reduction of growth in T3 followed by T2, and lowest in T1, a similar pattern was found for accumulation of heavy metals in the fruit. However, the application of biochar reduced the bioavailability and accumulation of heavy metals in the tomato fruit, as well as improved plant growth in contaminated soils. Overall, among the three biochar treatments, B2 was determined as the optimum level for improved growth coupled with reduced heavy metal accumulation in the tomato fruit. Besides, biochar application decreased the daily intake of metals and human health risk index values, thus alleviating the health risk. Hence, the present study demonstrated a positive role of biochar in reclaiming heavy metal‐contaminated soils and in increasing the plant growth.
ISSN:0031-9317
1399-3054
DOI:10.1111/ppl.13414