Effect of industrial effluents polluting the river nile on growth, metabolism and productivity ofTriticium aestivumandVicia fabaplants

Abstract

Pot experiments using loamy soil were conducted to evaluate the effect of irrigation with industrial effluents on growth, uptake of nutrients and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum Giza 164) as a monocot and faba beans (Vicia faba Giza 461) as a dicot plant. Also, irrigation by industrial effluents in combination with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) was used in trying to use a biological control to overcome the harmful effects of heavy metals pollution.Irrigation of plants with industrial effluents leads to marked changes in growth criteria depending on plant and/or the stage of growth. Industrial wastewater led also to marked changes in total carbohydrates and nitrogen in both shoots and roots. On the other hand, combination of industrial waste water with VAM caused an increase in the total carbohydrates and total nitrogen in shoots and roots of both wheat and bean plants.The yield components in wheat and bean were significantly increased with industrial effluents, but the biochemical concentrations were different. In wheat, the carbohydrate concentrations were increased, but protein-N and total-N were decreased, however mineral contents, especially Zn were increased. The reverse response was recorded with VAM. For bean the opposite occurred. Generally, bean plants were more sensitive to pollution with heavy metals, than those of wheat however this could influence be overcome by using VAM with irrigation.