Effect of Diesel Fuel Contamination on Seed Germination and Growth of Four Agricultural Crops
Journal Title: Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology - Year 2012, Vol 2, Issue 4
Abstract
Plant toxicity bioassays through fast germinating agricultural crops can indicate the phytoremediation potential, effects on growth and survival and also assess extent of pollution. In the present study, the phytotoxic effect of diesel fuel contamination was studies on four agricultural crops namely Zea mays, Vigna radiata, Sorghum vulgare and Pennisetum glaucum at four levels of contamination. All the test plant species tolerated diesel fuel contamination at 2.5 - 5% levels and the total percent seed germination was between 43.7 to 86.7%. But fourth treatment level (7.5% diesel) significantly reduced the germination in Zea mays (74% decrease) followed by Pennisetum glaucum (67% decrease). Diesel fuel contamination also caused a reduction in the length of the radicle of the four crop plants studied. At 5% level of contamination, the longest radicle (1.92 cm) was recorded in Vigna radiata followed by Zea mays (1.36 cm). Also at 10% level of diesel contamination these two test species showed more radicle growth than Sorghum vulgare and Pennisetum glaucum. There was a reduction of radicle growth of all the species in subsequent treatment levels. Almost same trend was observed in plumule growth of all four species. Phytotoxicity bioassays results revealed that Zea mays and Vigna radiata species exhibited better growth and germination even at high concentration of diesel as compared to Sorghum vulgare and Pennisetum glaucum. Hence, these two species have higher potential for phytoremediation of diesel contaminated soils.
Authors and Affiliations
Jyoti Luhach and Smita Chaudhry
Keywords
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