- Journal of International Environmental Application and Science
- Vol: 14 Issue: 2
- Protective effects of humic acid against chromium stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Delabrad...
Protective effects of humic acid against chromium stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Delabrad-2)
Authors : Adnan Akçin, Tülay Aytaş Akçin
Pages : 50-58
View : 5 | Download : 6
Publication Date : 2019-06-30
Article Type : Research
Abstract :Wheat ( T. aestivum ) is the world’s most widely cereal crop and is a staple food for a over 50 % world’s population. Soils contaminated with heavy metals may cause deleterious effects on human health. However, humic substances (humic acid and fulvic acid) might benefit plant growth by improving nutrient uptake and the activation of biomass production. Hence, the objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of humic acid (HA) on photosynthetic pigment and malondialdehyde content (MDA) against chromium stress in Triticum aestivum L. cv. Delabrad-2. For this purpose, four Cr treatments (0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.50 mM) were applied to wheat seedlings and the liquid humic acid sprayed on the leaves at 1.5 mg L -1 dose alone or in combination with chromium stress for 21 days. According to our results, the higher concentration of Cr was found in the leaves in comparison with roots and stems of wheat plants. The treatment with 0.6 mM Cr concentration was the most effective for wheat. Total carotenoid, total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and b contents decreased in groups only chromium compared to HA+Cr groups depending on the increased chromium dose. However, the application of HA increased the chlorophyll a/b ratio and MDA content in plants as compared with Cr treatment alone. We conclude that HA application eliminated the toxicity of Cr stress by modulating the photosynthetic activities in wheat.Keywords : Wheat, Heavy metal stress, Humic acid, photosynthetic pigment