• Farhan Hafeez

• Muhammad Rizwan

• Muhammad Saqib

• Tahira Yasmeen

• Shafaqat Ali

• Tahir Abbas

• Muhammad Zia-ur-Rehman

• Muhammad Farooq Qayyum

Abstract

Both salinity and cadmium (Cd) contamination of soils are the most critical issues of global food security. Soil application of biochar could decrease toxic metal and sodium (Na) uptake by plants in the season, but its long-term residual effects on metal uptake in latter crops need evaluation. A pot experiment with rice was conducted under ambient conditions in a Cdcontaminated soil which was used in an earlier experiment on wheat where soil was treated with different rates of biochar (0, 3, and 5% w/w) and irrigated with water having different salinity levels (0, 25, and 50 mM). Further treatments were not applied in the current study. The results revealed that plant growth and photosynthesis reduced while Cd and Na concentrations and oxidative stress were increased in plants under combined Cd and salinity. Biochar application reduced the Cd and Na concentrations and increased the potassium (K) concentrations in plants while diminished the oxidative stress in salt-stressed rice. Biochar positively affected the plant growth and physiology in a soil treated with 0, and 25 mM salt stress. However, plant growth and photosynthesis were reduced with biochar amendments under 50 mM NaCl stress. Soil AB-DTPA extractable Cd was higher in salinized soil without biochar addition, while biochar reduced the Cd extractability. It can be concluded that all biochar amendments had a significant residual effect on decreasing Cd and Na uptake while plant growth was negatively affected at higher biochar and salinity levels.

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