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GROWTH OF LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA (LAM.) DE-WIT, IN DIFFERENT SOILS OF KORANGI AND LANDHI INDUSTRIAL AREAS OF KARACHI, PAKISTAN

SYED ATIQ-UR-REHMAN ¹ AND MUHAMMAD ZAFAR IQBAL²

Abstract: The effects of soils collected from Khan Towel, Tanveer Garment, One Tech Rubber and One Tech Ply Board factories in the vicinity of Korangi and Landhi industrial areas were studied on the growth of Leucaena leucocephala under natural environmental conditions in a greenhouse. Plants of L. leucocephala which were grown in soils of Tanveer Garment factory showed reductions in many of the growth variables like root length, shoot length, seedling length, plant cover, number of leaflets, leaf area and dry weights of root, shoot and leaf and total plant dry weight (which included root, shoot and leaf dry weights) as compared to plants grown in soil of a control area (Karachi University Campus soil). Khan Towel and One Tech Rubber factory soils caused decrease in the growth parameters such as number of leaflets and dry weights of root, shoot and leaf and total plant dry weight of L. leucocephala as compared to plants in control area soil whereas root/shoot ratio was reduced in plants which were grown in One Tech Ply Board factory soil over the control soil. Growth of L. leucocephala was mostly increased in soil of a control area when compared to soil of Tanveer Garment factory. The amount of total soluble salts and available sulfate in all of the industrial areas soils were higher relative to a control area soil of Karachi University Campus. Total soluble salts and copper were found in highest extent in the soil of Khan Towel factory as compared to a control area soil. Tanveer Garment factory soil had lowest organic matter and highest amount of zinc than control soil. In the case of One Tech Rubber factory, the amount of coarse sand and concentration of Calcium carbonate was mostly increased over the control soil whereas level of chromium was higher in One Tech Rubber factory soil than a control soil. Soil of One Tech Ply Board factory had highest magnitude of available sulfate relative to the control soil. The research demonstrated that the growth of L. leucocephala was greatly reduced in plants which were grown in soil of Tanveer Garment factory than a control area soil of Karachi University Campus. Khan Towel and One Tech Rubber factory soils showed reductions in various growth variables of L. leucocephala. This showed that the soil of industrial areas of Korangi and Landhi, particularly of Tanveer Garment factory followed by Khan Towel factory and One Tech Rubber factory is contaminated by the existing pollution in the area.

Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi- 75270, Pakistan.
Email’s: ¹ atiq_falcon76@yahoo.com, ² mziqbalbotuokpk@yahoo.com