Physiological Studies on Heavy Metals Resistance Mechanisms in Plant Growing Under Intercropping Conditions

Abstract

Potted experiments were conducted in the greenhouse of the College of Agriculture in Shebin El-Kom, Menoufia University, during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, to study the cultivation of (sensitive) tomato plants in a loading system with watercress plants (resistant) in a land contaminated with heavy metals. Treating the soil contaminated with heavy metals by growing voracious plants to absorb these minerals, which are watercress. Study the rate of absorption and transfer of lead and cadmium from soil to watercress plants in mg / kg soil. Study the effect of heavy elements on growth, water relations and chemical content, as well as yield and components of tomato plants. The use of growth promoters such as silicon and seaweed extract and how they affect tomato or watercress plants. Three levels of lead were used, which are 0 (control), 1000 and 2000 mg / kg of soil, and contamination using three levels of cadmium metal, which are 0 (control), 100 and 300 mg / kg of soil, each alone.The characteristics of vegetative growth and some of the physiological and chemical characteristics such as photosynthetic pigments, water relations, total sugars, proline concentration, activity of some enzymes, total protein, plant content of some mineral elements, and some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the crop were studied.