Dr. Vijay Mani, Eswari Kalivaradhan and Kirthiga Jayakumar

Heavy metals are environmental pollutants that pose serious risks to agricultural productivity vitally by affecting plant’s health. Their accumulation in environment can lead to toxic effects, disrupting growth and metabolic processes. This study investigates the Iron toxicity effects on the growth and biochemical analysis of Lady’s Finger (Abelmoschus esculentus) plants. The experimental plants were divided into 4 different groups. Group 1 plants, which served as the control, received no ferrous iron treatment, while groups 2, 3, and 4 were exposed to ferrous iron treatments of 100, 200, and 400 mg, respectively. Results indicate that more exposure to ferrous iron significantly reduced the growth parameters such as germination percentage, root & shoot length, fresh & dry weight and vigour index. Biochemical analysis illustrates that higher concentration of ferrous iron leads to a notable reduction in carbohydrates and proteins levels. Furthermore, the activities of enzymic antioxidants such as catalase & super oxide dismutase were reduced significantly under ferrous iron toxicity compromising the plant’s defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. These findings highlight the harmful effects of ferrous iron in the health of lady’s finger plants and underscore the importance of developing strategies to ameliorate the environmental pollution due to heavy metals in agriculture.

DOI: 10.22271/phyto.2024.v13.i6a.15157

Pages: 18-23  |  176 Views  80 Downloads