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Alleviating effects of silicate, selenium, and microorganism fertilization on lead toxicity in ginger (Zingiber
Zijing Chen1, Jiamin Xu1, Yue Xu1
1College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit &, Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production in Shandong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops in Huanghuai Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, PR China.
Abstract:
The aim of this work was exploring the effects of silicon, selenium, and a microorganism fertilizer on alleviating the effects of lead (Pb) toxicity in ginger. Ginger plants were grown in soil containing 500 mg/kg Pb(NO3)2 without (CK) or with Si, Se, or microorganism fertilizer (T1, T2, T3) as soil conditioners. Morphology indexes, Pb accumulation and distribution rates, and antioxidant enzyme activities were investigated. The Pb transfer and Pb absorption coefficients were calculated, and Pb accumulation in plant organs at various developmental stages were determined. All three soil conditioners alleviated Pb stress in ginger plants. The rhizome fresh weight in T1, T2, and T3 was increased by 96.06, 85.81, and 41.58%, respectively, compared with CK. The accumulation of Pb in organs was lower in all treatments than in CK. The chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in leaves, and root activity, root length, and the tolerance index, were higher in the treatments than in CK. The reactive oxygen species content in ginger leaves and roots was significantly lower in all treatments than in CK. Soil conditioners alleviated the negative effects of Pb stress on ginger plants: Si was the most effective, followed by Se, and then the microorganism fertilizer.

