TITLE:
Germination and Survival of Maize and Beans Seeds: Effects of Irrigation with NaCl and Heavy Metals Contaminated Water
AUTHORS:
Cornelius Tsamo, Sendze Martinien Alanyuy, Eric Fru Zama, Chi Christopher Tamu
KEYWORDS:
Salinity, Heavy Metals, Pollution, Seedling Characteristics, Irrigation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.12 No.5,
May
25,
2022
ABSTRACT: Metal toxicity and soil salinity at excessive levels in soils are toxic
to plants. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the effects of
water salinity (NaCl) and heavy metal concentration on germination and seedling
characteristics of maize and beans seeds. Different concentrations of NaCl (0
to 35000 mg/L) and Zn2+, Cu2+ and Pb2+ with
concentrations 0 to 600 μmol/L each were used separately. These solutions were
used to irrigate maize and bean seeds for 30 days. Data was taken daily for the
following parameters; “the number of germinated seeds, shoot length, shoot circumference, leaf
area index, leaf colors, senescence, and disease occurrences.” The crops were
uprooted at the end of the 30 days and their wet masses were measured and
recorded. Results indicated that seed germination reduced with an increase in
the concentration of NaCl for both maize and beans with 0% germination recorded
in concentrations > 5000 mg/L. The same trends were observed for other parameters, the shoot
length, the leaf area index, and the shoot circumference. “For
heavy metals, the trends were similar. Beans growth was more affected by Zn and
Cu but maize growth was more affected by Pb.” The dry masses and wet masses of
the crops with higher concentrations of metals and salts were very low compared
to the control experiments. For the effects
of salinity and heavy metals on beans and maize seeds, there was a significant
difference (P ≤ 0.001) between all tested concentrations and the control for all growth
parameters monitored. It was concluded from the results that salinity and heavy
metals affect the germination and seedling characteristics of maize and beans;
though some metals are essential, their presence in higher concentrations
instead cause harm.