A greenhouse pot experiment assessing the zinc-accumulating behavior of Lupinus uncinatus Schldl

Abstract

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the zinc (Zn) accumulation potential of Lupinus uncinatus Schldl. The effects of varying Zn concentrations on plant dry matter yield, metal tolerance, and Zn accumulation and distribution in roots, stems, and leaves were investigated. Zn was applied as ZnCl₂ at rates of, 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg. One-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison test (p<0.05) revealed significant effects of Zn on root dry weight, Zn uptake in roots, stems, and leaves, and the shoot-to-root Zn ratio. Root dry weight was significantly reduced, with the highest Zn treatment (600 mg/kg) causing a 57% reduction compared to control plants. However, no significant differences were observed in overall plant dry matter yield. Metal tolerance declined with increasing Zn stress. Zn accumulation in leaves reached 9,632 mg/kg and 14,771 mg/kg at soil Zn application rates of 400 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg, respectively. The shoot-to-root Zn ratio exceeded one, and more than 64% of the total Zn absorbed by L. uncinatus was translocated to the shoots at 600 mg/kg. These results position L. uncinatus as a promising species for Zn phytoremediation, encouraging future studies under field conditions and with other toxic metals.

Keywords

Metal uptake / Zinc toxicity / Phytoremediation / Tolerance index / Lupin plants / Soil contamination

Funding

The principal author, Muhammad Ehsan, expresses his gratitude to the Governments of Pakistan and Mexico for awarding the doctoral scholarship, without which this research would not have been possible.

Conflict of interest

Muhammad Ehsan is an Editorial Board Member of this journal but was not involved in any way in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, either directly or indirectly. Separately, the other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

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