WHEAT ASSIMILATION OF NICKEL AND ZINC ADDED IN IRRIGATION WATER AS AFFECTED BY ORGANIC MATTER

Abstract

Wastewater irrigation is becoming important around big cities where crops, especially vegetables, are grown. City effluent being a mix of house and factory waste contains organic matter, salts and metals including toxic ones like nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), etc., which could be made a part of food chain through phytoassimilation. Hence, a pot culture study was conducted to observe the effect of artificially applied Ni and zinc (Zn) with or without the presence of organic matter (OM) on their uptake by wheat crop in a sandy loam soil. Biomass production was depressed by the application of nickel alone while, Ni and Zn applied in combination produced maximum biomass. Concentrations of both metals were higher in grains than in straw and organic matter application further increased their concentrations in plant parts except for Ni in control. In post-experiment soil, there was less ammonium bicarbonate (AB)- diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable Ni in organic matter receiving treatments while the Zn showed mixed response with respect to its extractability.

Keywords:

• nickel
• organic matter
• wheat
• zinc