Abstract:
Soil salinity and heavy metals are two most threatening environmental stresses imposing hyper-osmotic and ionic stress in plants. Wild plants are being used as source of bio-medicines and have naturally immense potential against abiotic stress. Cucumis melo L. is cucurbit weed used in conventional mediation to mitigate many diseases. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of salt, metal and combined treatment in terms of morpho-anatomical characteristics at whole plant level in Cucumis melo at Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur in 2019. Two Ecotypes of C. melo were selected named as Ecotype I (Desert Type) and Ecotype II (Agricultural Type). The experiment was planned in a completely randomized design (CRD) with three factors and three replicates. The data was subjected to statistical analysis using Microsoft Excel software and Minitab statistical software for analysis of variance (ANOVA) and LSD for comparison of mean values. Following levels of NaCl (50mM,100mM,150mM,200mM), NiCl2 levels (50µM,100µM,150µM, 200µM) and combined were used during this study. Most of the morpho-anatomical features were least affected at low and moderate levels of NaCl and NiCl2 and considerably reduction at high level was observed in Ecotype I but Ecotype II showed gradual to abrupt decrement from low to high levels. And combined treatment exposed detrimental effect in Ecotype II than Ecotype I as compared to single stress. Results of present study indicate that Ecotype I was more tolerable than Ecotype II at high level of contamination. These treatments reduced growth of root and shoot, fresh and dry weight of plant, number of leaves and leaf area in term of morphology along with anatomical changes in stem, root and leaf were observed in all tissues of both Ecotypes. However at highest level of these stresses exposed reduction in the both Ecotypes. So it is concluded that agricultural type of C. melo L. is sensitive because it may reduce water uptake and create the osmotic conditions and ion toxicity that results in small cell size and cell injury plus also showed less adaptations to sodium and nickel toxicity as compared to desert type of the C.melo L. that having the better acclamation strategies.
Page(s):
145-145
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Abstract Book on Global Science Technology and Management Conference, Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2023