Effect of wood ash application on the morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters of Brassica napus L.

Published Date
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
October 2015, Vol.95:15–25, doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2015.06.017
Research article

• Author 

• Farhat Nabeela ^a
• Waheed Murad ^a
• Imran Khan ^b
• Ishaq Ahmad Mian ^c
• Hazir Rehman ^d
• Muhammad Adnan ^a
• Azizullah Azizullah ^a,,

• aDepartment of Botany, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000 Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
• bCentre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences (CIRBS), International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan
• cDepartment of Soil & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Crop Production Sciences, University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
• dDepartment of Microbiology, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000 Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Received 18 March 2015. Revised 26 June 2015. Accepted 27 June 2015. Available online 2 July 2015. 

Highlights

• •
  The effect of wood ash application on different parameters of Brassica napus L. was studied.
• •
  Different physiological and biochemical parameters of seedlings were used as end points.
• •
  In addition, the effect on soil microflora & accumulation of metals in seedlings was studied.
• •
  Lower concentrations of wood ash were stimulatory but higher doses were detrimental.
• •
  Wood ash application caused an increased bioaccumulation of metals in seedlings.

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of wood ash application on different parameters of Brassica napus L. including seed germination, seedling growth, fresh and dry biomass, water content in seedlings, photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, total protein and cell viability. In addition, the effect of wood ash on soil microflora and accumulation of trace elements in seedlings were determined. The seeds of B. napus were grown at different doses of wood ash (0, 1, 10, 25, 50 and 100 g (wood ash)/kg (soil)) and the effect on various parameters was determined. Wood ash significantly inhibited seed germination at doses above 25 g/kg and there was no germination at 100 g/kg of wood ash. At lower concentrations of wood ash, most of the growth parameters of seedlings were stimulated, but at higher concentrations of wood ash most of the studied parameters were adversely affected. Wood ash was found to be very detrimental to B. napus when applied above 25 g/kg. Wood ash application resulted in an increased bioaccumulation of trace elements in seedlings of B. napus. Almost all trace elements were significantly higher in seedlings grown in wood ash above 10 g/kg as compared to the control. An increase in total microbial count was observed with wood ash treatment which was statistically significant at 1 and 10 g/kg of wood ash. It is concluded that at very high concentration, wood ash can be detrimental to plants; however, its application at lower application rate can be recommended.

Keywords

Brassica napus

Wood ash

Seedling growth

Biomass

Bioaccumulation

Soil microflora

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• ∗ 
  Corresponding author.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

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