PJB-2023-241
Efficacy of Pb-tolerant Bacillus subtilis and neem (Azadirachta indica) seed cake in attenuation of lead stress in Helianthus annuus L.
Afshan Rahman, Nawalgul Shaikh, Habiba, Fouzia Naseer, Syeda Aiman Fatima Zaidi and Shumaila Moin
Abstract
One of the most consequential soil concerns is the accumulation of heavy metal pollutants. Present research aims to investigate the effectiveness of neem cake soil amendment, lead tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria B. Subtilis inoculation and their co-application to improve physiological performance of Helianthus annuus L., against lead (Pb) stress. The experiment was conducted in pots containing 1 kg sandy loam soil with neem cake amendment (10 g/kg), B. Subtilis (inoculated via soil drench method) alone and in combination and were irrigated with two levels of Pb (0.2 mMand 0.5 mM). In vitro metal biodegradation assay confirmed that B. subtilis was able to immobilize 99.2 % of Pb when grown in broth containing 0.6 mM lead nitrate (incubated for 24 hrs at 150 rpm in a rotary shaker).In pot experiment, the co-application of B. subtilis and neem cake in stressed plants significantly improved carbohydrates (µg/mL), peroxidase (µgH2O2/min/gFW) activity and H2O2(%) scavenging activity while reduced phenolic contents (µg Gallic acid/mL), proteins (µg/gm) and ascorbic acid (µg/mL) indicating alleviation of stress. Considering results, present study advocates that neem cake with B. subtilis inoculation may be an excellent treatment to make use of contaminated soil for agricultural practices as they both significantly (p<0.05) improved plant growth in Pb contaminated environment
To Cite this article:
Rahman, A., N. Shaikh, Habiba, F. Naseer, S.A.F. Zaidi and S. Moin. 2025. Efficacy of Pb-tolerant Bacillus subtilis and neem (Azadirachta indica) seed cake in attenuation of lead stress in Helianthus annuus L. Pak. J. Bot., 57(1): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2025-1(4)
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