Enhancing sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) resilience grown in cadmium-contaminated saline soil: a synergistic approach using Moringa leaf extract and effective microorganisms application

Raising soil contamination with cadmium (Cd2+) and salinization necessitates the development of green approaches using bio-elicitors to ensure sustainable crop production and mitigate the detrimental health impacts. Two field trials were carried out to study the individual and combined effects of foliage spraying of Moringa leaf extract (MLE) and soil application of effective microorganisms (EMs) on the physio-biochemical, osmolytes, antioxidants, and performance of sweet potato grown in Cd2+-contaminated salty soil (Cd2+  = 17.42 mg kg-1 soil and soil salinity ECe = 7.42 dS m-1). Application of MLE, EMs, or MLE plus EMs significantly reduced the accumulation of Cd2+ in roots by 55.6%, 50.0%, or 68.1% and in leaves by 31.4%, 27.6%, or 38.0%, respectively, compared to the control. Co-application of MLE and EMs reduced Na+ concentration while substantially raising N, P, K+, and Ca2+ acquisition in the leaves. MLE and EMs-treated plants exhibited higher concentrations of total soluble sugar by 69.6%, free proline by 47.7%, total free amino acids by 29.0%, and protein by 125.7% compared to the control. The enzymatic (SOD, APX, GR, and CAT) and non-enzymatic (phenolic acids, GSH, and AsA) antioxidants increased in plants treated with MLE and/or EMs application. Applying MLE and/or EMs increased the leaf photosynthetic pigment contents, membrane stability, relative water content, water productivity, growth traits, and tuber yield of Cd2+ and salt-stressed sweet potato. Consequently, the integrative application of MLE and EMs achieved the best results exceeding the single treatments recommended in future application to sweet potato in saline soil contaminated with Cd2+.

Polyamines modulate growth, antioxidant activity, and genomic DNA in heavy metal-stressed wheat plant

A pot experiment was performed to assess the useful effects of seed soaking or seedling foliar spray using 0.25 mM spermine (Spm), 0.50 mM spermidine (Spd), or 1 mM putrescine (Put) on heavy metal tolerance in wheat plants irrigated with water contaminated by cadmium (2 mM Cd²⁺ in CdCl₂) or lead (2 mM Pb²⁺ in PbCl₂). Cd²⁺ or Pb²⁺ presence in the growth medium resulted in significant reductions in growth and yield characteristics and activities of leaf peroxidase (POD), glutathione reductase (GR), ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) of wheat plants. In contrast, significant increases were observed for Cd²⁺ content in roots, leaves and grains, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, radical scavenging activity (DPPH), reducing power capacity, and fragmentation in DNA in comparison to controls (without Cd²⁺ or Pb²⁺ addition). However, treating the Cd²⁺- or Pb²⁺-stressed wheat plants with Spm, Spd, or Put, either by seed soaking or foliar spray, significantly improved growth and yield characteristics and activities of POD, GR, AAO, PPO, SOD, and CAT, DPPH, and reducing power capacity in wheat plants. In contrast, Cd²⁺ levels in roots, leaves, and yielded grains, and fragmentation in DNA were significantly reduced compared with the stressed (with Cd²⁺ or Pb²⁺) controls. Generally, seed soaking treatments were more effective than foliar spray treatments. More specifically, seed priming in Put was the best treatment under heavy metal stress. Results of this study recommend using polyamines, especially Put, as seed soaking to relieve the adverse effects of heavy metals in wheat plants.