Response of jatropha curcas plants to foliar applied ascorbic acid for decreasing the harmful effect of nickel pollution in the irrigation water

Abstract EN

The present study was carried-out at Antoniades Research Branch, Horticultural Research Institute, A.R.C.

Alexandria, Egypt during the two successive seasons 2014 and 2015.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water contaminated with nickel on Jatropha curcas plants grown in sandy soil, the possibility of using ascorbic acid spray treatments to overcome the effects of nickel pollution.

Seedlings of Jatropha curcas were planted individually in plastic pots (30 cm diameter) filled with 8 kg of sandy soil.

Four concentrations of nickel 0,100, 200 and 300 ppm were applied in the irrigation water.

The plants were treated with ascorbic acid at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 ppm by monthly spraying in both seasons.

The results showed that for vegetative growth parameters, there was no significant interaction between nickel concentrations and foliar spray by ascorbic acid, while a significant reduction was observed in all parameters after irrigation with contaminated water contained nickel and a significant increase in vegetative growth parameters was observed after 500 ppm ascorbic acid application.

For chlorophyll and carbohydrate content the highest significant value was obtained from plants irrigated with tap water and sprayed with 500 ppm ascorbic acid while the highest significant nickel content in leaves, stem and roots was obtained in the treatment 300 ppm without application of ascorbic acid