Plant and Soil最新文献

{"title":"Changes in plant functional trait composition modulate nitrogen effects on above-ground biomass in a temperate desert steppe","authors":"Jingjuan Qiao, Xiaoan Zuo, Min Chen, Ping Yue, Shaokun Wang, Huaihai Wang, Zhaobin Song","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07387-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07387-6","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Backgrounds</h3><p>Global nitrogen (N) deposition is greatly impacting dryland ecosystems, especially biodiversity and above-ground biomass (AGB). AGB typically exhibits a saturation response to N addition, however, the N saturation thresholds and driving mechanisms remain poorly understood.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>In both herbaceous and shrub communities of desert steppe, we conducted a five-year N addition experiment with eight levels to test AGB response. Also, we examined how three biodiversity facets (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity) and soil properties drive AGB.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>We found the N saturation thresholds for the response of AGB to N addition, with higher thresholds in herbaceous (N24 g m⁻² year⁻¹) than shrub communities (N12 g m⁻² year⁻¹). N addition promoted shifts in dominant species from conservative species to acquisitive species in herbaceous communities, supporting the two-order resource dynamics hypothesis, but this effect was minor in shrub communities. CWM trait values of SLA, LNC and height were key modulators of AGB under N addition, supporting the mass ratio hypothesis. In herbaceous communities, CWM _SLA modulated the effects of N addition on AGB across eight N addition levels and before N saturation thresholds, and CWM _LNC did after N saturation thresholds. In shrub communities, the effects of N addition on AGB were primarily modulated by variations in CWM _height, particularly shrubs height.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>This study provides new insights into the different N saturation thresholds for AGB in herbaceous and shrub communities, and highlights that CWM trait values modulates the effects of N addition on AGB. Our findings fill the knowledge gaps concerning how desert steppe AGB responds to a wider N addition gradient and driving mechanisms, providing the theoretical basis and guidance for policy formulation to enhance vegetation restoration.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143661170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aboveground succulence in woody plants is related with drought survival in green roof modules and not their degree of anisohydry or water use","authors":"Bihan Guo, Stefan K. Arndt, Rebecca E. Miller, Claire Farrell","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07369-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07369-8","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>On green roofs, water and depth limitations reduce woody plant survival due to shallow free-draining substrates. Succulents like <i>Sedum</i> spp. are commonly used on green roofs as succulence improves drought survival. Succulence refers to water storage in plant tissues and plants can use succulence to maintain physiological function under drought as ‘utilisable water’ or to buffer changes in water potential to prevent dehydration. The amount of water used to buffer one unit change of water potential is termed ‘capacitance’. Succulence also exists in woody plants, but it is unclear whether this can improve survival on green roofs as their total water use (evapotranspiration) and their drought tolerance will also affect survival.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We evaluated survival of seven woody plant species in a 23-month (from establishment) green roof module experiment. Survival analyses determined time until 75% survival of each species. Survival was related to succulence (degree of leaf succulence and organ water content normalised by dry mass), utilisable water, capacitance, total water use and degree of anisohydry, which were determined previously in a glasshouse experiment.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>On green roofs during summer drought, plants with higher levels of leaf and stem succulence had greater survival. However, survival was not related to utilisable water, capacitance or water use and degree of anisohydry.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>Greater aboveground succulence leads to better drought survival in woody plants and could be used to improve plant selection and broaden species used on green roofs.\u0000</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143653909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing plant stress resilience and agricultural sustainability through rhizosphere microbiome optimization","authors":"Xiaopeng Li, Ruixue Xiao, Yongfu Tao","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07359-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07359-w","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Global environmental pressures are escalating, posing significant challenges to plant survival. The rhizosphere microbiome possesses the potential to enhance root growth and improve plant resilience under stress conditions. This review explores the structure and function of the rhizosphere microbiome, examining how these root-associated microbes respond to plant root exudates under environmental stress and contribute to the regulation of plant stress resistance. The article further emphasizes the impact of soil properties, plant genotype, and environmental factors on the composition of the rhizosphere microbiome. Finally, the review proposes strategies for optimizing the structure of the rhizosphere microbiome through soil management, modulation of plant root exudates, application of microbial probiotics, and utilization of crop wild relatives, thereby enhancing the adaptability of plants to adversity.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>The article underscores the importance of in-depth research into the mechanisms of plant-microbiome interactions and highlights future research directions, including the effects of multiple microbial strain combinations on plant stress resistance, the influence of changes in the composition of rhizosphere microbes on plant gene expression, and how microbes and plant genes work in concert to regulate plant stress resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143653910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Connections between roots and soil health across agriculture management practices","authors":"E. Britt Moore, Mriganka De, Marcio R. Nunes, Debasish Saha, Virginia Jin, Lidong Li, Jane M. F. Johnson, Douglas L. Karlen, Marshall D. McDaniel","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07367-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07367-w","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Farmers are increasingly interested in regenerating soil health after centuries of soil-degrading practices. However, the most effective soil health regenerating practices (SHRP) and underlying mechanisms that regenerate soil health remain unclear. Our objectives were to determine: (i) how agriculture management, hillslope position, and their interactions affect soil health and root characteristics, and (ii) if there is a relationship between management-induced root characteristics and observed improvements in soil health.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>Soil and plant root samples were collected from 0 to 120-cm from three management practices: conventional maize-soybean rotation (Row Crop), cattle-grazed pasture (Pasture), and restored grassland (Grassland). Soil health indicators (SHIs) that are responsive to management differences: soil organic carbon, potentially mineralizable carbon, permanganate oxidizable carbon, beta-glucosidase activity, total nitrogen, and autoclaved citrate extractable protein were measured, along with root mass, root mean diameter (RMD), and root length density (RLD).</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Overall SHIs for Pasture and Grassland increased by an average of 54% and 41%, respectively, when compared to Row Crop. Pasture and Grassland management also had twice the root mass as the Row Crop systems. Pasture had the greatest proportion of very fine roots (&lt; 0.2 mm RMD), while Row Crop had the lowest proportion. Individual biological SHIs showed the best negative correlation with RMD and were positively correlated with RLD.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>Soil health regenerating practices that increase total root mass, and fine root mass in particular (i.e., Pasture and Grassland), can lead to vast improvements in soil health regardless of hillslope position.\u0000</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"70 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143653908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil functional microbes can modify the plant functional diversity mainly through changing the plant functional traits of evergreen species in karst forests","authors":"Luyao Chen, Yong Li, Longchenxi Meng, Mingzhen Sui, Qingfu Liu, Guangqi Zhang, Danmei Chen, Yuejun He, Fangjun Ding, Lipeng Zang","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07371-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07371-0","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Aims</h3><p>The dynamic interactions between plants and soil serve as the underlying mechanisms that drive various ecological processes linked to the biodiversity maintenance. Previous studies suggested soil microbes played an important role in linking the soil and plants. However, how and to what extent the soil functional microbes influence the plant functional community structure is still unclear, especially in sensitive karst forests.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We established a series of forest dynamic plots (FDPs) along the natural regeneration in the Maolan National Nature Reserve, a typical karst forest ecosystem, to explore the roles of soil microbial functional genes on the plant functional diversity (FD).</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Comparison analysis found significant changes in the relative abundance of soil microbial functional genes involved in nitrogen cycling (N-cycling), soil physicochemical properties, and the community-weighted variance (CWV) of plant functional traits as well as FD. In addition, variations in soil physicochemical properties mediated by soil microbial functional genes involved in N-cycling were closely related to changes in plant FD. Furthermore, evergreen species rather than deciduous ones were found to play the dominant role in determining the plant functional community structure.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>This study highlighted the critical role of microbial communities in stabilizing ecosystem functioning and the disproportionate contribution of species with different life forms along the natural regeneration in karst evergreen-deciduous mixed forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143661157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of vegetation restoration in shaping the structure and stability of soil bacterial community of alpine mining regions","authors":"Yuanyuan Xue, Wei Liu, Qi Feng, Meng Zhu, Jutao Zhang, Lingge Wang, Zexia Chen, Xuejiao Li","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07364-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07364-z","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Aims</h3><p>To better understand and predict how soil bacterial communities in alpine coal mining regions respond to restoration efforts and provide scientific recommendations to enhance restoration efficacy.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We utilized high-throughput sequencing to investigate the shifts in soil bacterial community structures and stability along the restoration years in the alpine coal mining regions, along with the driving factors behind these changes.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Artificial restoration in alpine mining regions may not enhance bacterial community diversity, while it can notably increase soil nutrient content and plant biomass in the short term, thereby significantly modifying bacterial community structures and improving their stability. With the increase in restoration duration, although plant community diversity significantly increased, soil nutrient content and plant biomass significantly declined, resulting in notable shifts in bacterial community structures and a reduction in their stability. It can be seen that maintaining the benefits of artificial restoration over the long term is problematic, so continuous artificial intervention should be applied in alpine mining. Furthermore, we found that keystone species were predominantly rare species, rather than dominant ones. Meanwhile, more attention should be given to taxa that showed a positive response only to short-term artificial restoration, such as <i>Candidatus</i> Saccharibacteria, Gemmatimonadota, <i>Gp16</i>, <i>Saccharibacteria</i>, and <i>Nitrospira moscoviensis</i>.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>In alpine mining regions, artificial restoration can enhance the stability of soil bacterial communities, primarily by increasing soil nutrients, plant biomass and diversity, and bacterial community diversity. Additionally, keystone species, which are mainly rare species rather than dominant ones, play a crucial role in maintaining community stability.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143653907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil phosphorus transformations along two long-term chronosequences with contrasting climate in south-western Australia","authors":"Hongtao Zhong, Jun Zhou, Benjamin L. Turner, Flynn T. Watson, Hans Lambers","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07362-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07362-1","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background</h3><p>Soil organic phosphorus (P) and its chemical nature change markedly during long-term pedogenesis, but how variation in ecosystem water balance and associated differences in vegetation impact such transformations remain unclear.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>We used solution ³¹P-nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P-NMR) spectroscopy to assess the chemical nature of soil organic P along two &gt; 2-million-year coastal sand dune chronosequences in south-western Australia characterised by contrasting ecosystem water balance. We sampled soils from the progressive and retrogressive stages of the ecosystem along the wetter Warren and drier Jurien Bay chronosequences.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Organic P was a much greater proportion of the total soil P in the wetter Warren than the drier Jurien Bay chronosequence. However, the composition of soil organic and inorganic P detected by ³¹P-NMR spectroscopy was similar in the two chronosequences. Orthophosphate and simple phosphomonoesters were the dominant P species, and their proportional importance increased as soils aged, constituting &gt; 80% of soil total P in the late stages of pedogenesis. However, no higher-order inositol phosphates were detected along either chronosequence, presumably due to the sandy texture and limited sorption capacity of the soils.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>Our results provide evidence that ecosystem water balance has little impact on the long-term soil organic P transformations during pedogenesis in south-western Australian dune sequences.\u0000</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"92 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143653906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring microbial ubiquity across different plant functional groups and organs","authors":"Lei Wang, Zhili Liu, Cécile Bres, Guangze Jin, Nicolas Fanin","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07356-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07356-z","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Aims</h3><p>This study focuses on assessing the diversity and composition of the phyllosphere and rhizosphere communities, exploring the significant overlap in microbial community composition among four different plant functional groups and plant organs, and understanding the fitness match between microorganisms and plants.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>Sequencing the microorganisms of different plant functional groups (coniferous, broadleaf, shrubs and herbs) and organs (leaves and roots), we obtained the microbial diversity and community structure and analyzed their differences under different environments, with the objective of identifying core groups of microorganisms present across various environmental conditions.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Across all plant functional groups, bacterial and fungal diversity was higher in the rhizosphere compared to the phyllosphere. Furthermore, bacterial species were more similar in the rhizosphere than in the phyllosphere, suggesting that the leaf surface imposes stronger selective pressures on microbial community composition. The overlap in bacterial and fungal species was higher for herbs compared to taller plant functional groups. This suggests that the similarity in microbial communities between plant organs increases with decreasing plant size. Interestingly, core microbial taxa shared between phyllosphere and rhizosphere were relatively similar for each of the four plant functional groups. Alphaproteobacteria and Dothideomycetes were the dominant taxa in the phyllosphere, whereas Alphaproteobacteria and Agaricomycetes were the dominant taxa in the rhizosphere.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>This study reveals the ubiquity and importance of key microbial taxa within the plant microbiome, highlighting core microorganisms that drive co-evolutionary patterns, while shaping survival, development, and selection across diverse organs and functional groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"89 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143635714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of nano-silicon and sodium silicate on wheat grown after preceding crops","authors":"Aydin Gunes, Mehmet Burak Taskin, Hanife Akca, Selver Kan, Ridvan Batuhan Kizilkaya, Kiymet Deniz Yagcioglu, Yusuf Kagan Kadioglu","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07363-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07363-0","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Aims</h3><p>Understanding how preceding crops affect subsequent ones is crucial for designing effective crop rotations. This study aims to investigate the often-overlooked impact of preceding crops on soil silicon (Si) dynamics, particularly in the cultivation of Si-accumulating plants like wheat.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>Two successive experiments were conducted in a randomized design in pots. First, it was planted 7 crops (sunflower, vetch, maize, chickpea, sugar beet, wheat and rice) and fallow treatment. After the harvest, 2 Si fertilizers; Sodium silicate (Na-Si) and nano-silicon (Nano-Si) were applied in the same soil samples before planting wheat. Nano-Si was obtained from rice husk waste and characterized using SEM, XRD and FTIR techniques.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Despite being grown in the same soil, the preceding crops showed significant differences in Si concentration and the amount of Si removed from the soil. Specifically, rice, wheat, and maize, known as Si accumulators, contained more Si and removed higher amounts of Si from the soil compared to other plants. Consequently, the available Si in the soil was lower after these plants. Wheat grown after Si-accumulating crops had lower weights compared to other treatments, and the Si content in wheat was also lower after these plants. Nano-Si proved to be a superior Si fertilizer source compared to Na-Silicate.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusions</h3><p>Based on the results of this study, the necessity of Si fertilization in the cultivation of Si-accumulating wheat, particularly after other Si-accumulating plants, and the effectiveness of biogenic Nano-Si as a Si source have been concluded.\u0000</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143635715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Compost application modulates growth, physiology and metal uptake by Pisum sativum grown in two different pH soils irrigated with contaminated wastewater","authors":"Sana Ullah, Asif Naeem, Marius Praspaliauskas, Irena Vaskeviciene, Ahmed Hosney, Donata Drapanauskaite, Karolina Barcauskaite","doi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07366-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07366-x","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Green waste compost (GWC) could alleviate the toxicity of Cu/Zn-contaminated wastewater (WW) to plants, but its differential behaviour in neutral and acidic soils remains unelucidated. Therefore, this pot study evaluated the alleviative effect of GWC on the toxicity of Cu and/ or Zn contaminated wastewater to soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA), growth, physiology and metal accumulation by common pea in acidic and neutral soils.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>The four WW treatments were: uncontaminated WW, Cu-contaminated WW, Zn-contaminated WW, and Cu+Zn-contaminated WW. Thus, there were 16 treatment combinations (4 wastewater- × 2 soils- × 2 compost levels), each having three replicates.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Contaminated WW had statistically similar negative effects on soil DHA, growth and chlorophyll contents of pea plants in both soils. Pea plants accumulated more Cu and Zn in acidic-pH soil than in neutral soil. The ameliorative effect of the GWC amendment was statistically similar in both soils. The GWC improved soil organic matter (30–49%), soil DHA (38–63%), and growth (6–37%) and chlorophyll contents (14%–2-fold) of pea plants as compared to No-Compost. Conversely, the GWC amendment notably and equally decreased Cu and Zn accumulation in pea shoots in both soils. The principal component analysis revealed that Cu concentration and content were negatively related to soil DHA, growth and chlorophyll contents of pea plants.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>Hence, it is concluded that Zn is less toxic than Cu, and compost can be used as soil conditioner in acidic as well as neutral soil to reduce the metal uptake and their concentration in pea shoots.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143635713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}