Enhancing phytoextraction efficiency of king grass through foliar application of plant growth regulators under cadmium and chromium stress.
Altaf MM, Dong X, Wang M, Sun X, Li D
Phytoremediation
The vegetables grown on farmland near old industrial sites or heavily fertilized fields may carry invisible doses of cadmium and chromium — fast-growing grasses treated with a simple hormone spray could clean that soil before food crops are ever planted there.
Scientists tested whether spraying natural plant hormones on king grass — a tall, fast-growing hybrid grass — would help it absorb toxic metals from polluted soil. Two hormones stood out: a common plant growth booster and melatonin (yes, the same compound linked to sleep in humans), which made the grass healthier, more vigorous, and far better at pulling cadmium and chromium up from the ground into its leaves and stems. This points toward using carefully managed grass plantings, rather than costly industrial equipment, to detoxify contaminated land.
Key Findings
IAA (auxin) and melatonin were the most effective of 8 plant growth regulators tested, outperforming gibberellin, abscisic acid, cytokinin, ethylene, strigolactones, and salicylic acid for metal extraction.
Foliar application at 0.2 mg/L boosted plant growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant enzyme activity in king grass under both low- and high-cadmium/chromium soil conditions.
PGR treatment upregulated key enzymes involved in metal uptake and translocation, directly increasing cadmium and chromium accumulation in above-ground plant biomass.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Spraying king grass with two natural plant hormones — auxin (IAA) and melatonin (MT) — significantly improves the plant's ability to pull toxic cadmium and chromium out of contaminated soil, offering a cheap, plant-based alternative to industrial soil cleanup.
Abstract Preview
Plant growth regulators (IAA and MT) enhance phytoextraction of cadmium and chromium in king grass by boosting plant growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant activity, and upregulating key enzymes, lead...
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King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. In a modern context, the title may refer to the ruler of one of a number of modern monarchies. The title of king is used alongside ...