title: Effect of wood ash application on the morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters of Brassica napus L.
abstract: The present study was conducted to determine the effect of wood ash application on different parameters of Brassica napus L. including seed germination, seedling growth, fresh and dry biomass, water content in seedlings, photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars, total protein and cell viability. In addition, the effect of wood ash on soil microflora and accumulation of trace elements in seedlings were determined. The seeds of B. napus were grown at different doses of wood ash (0, 1, 10, 25, 50 and 100 g (wood ash)/kg (soil)) and the effect on various parameters was determined. Wood ash significantly inhibited seed germination at doses above 25 g/kg and there was no germination at 100 g/kg of wood ash. At lower concentrations of wood ash, most of the growth parameters of seedlings were stimulated, but at higher concentrations of wood ash most of the studied parameters were adversely affected. Wood ash was found to be very detrimental to B. napus when applied above 25 g/kg. Wood ash application resulted in an increased bioaccumulation of trace elements in seedlings of B. napus. Almost all trace elements were significantly higher in seedlings grown in wood ash above 10 g/kg as compared to the control. An increase in total microbial count was observed with wood ash treatment which was statistically significant at 1 and 10 g/kg of wood ash. It is concluded that at very high concentration, wood ash can be detrimental to plants; however, its application at lower application rate can be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000 Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Farhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nabeela
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000 Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Waheed
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Murad
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences (CIRBS), International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Imran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Crop Production Sciences, University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ishaq Ahmad
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Mian
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000 Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Hazir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000 Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST), 26000 Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Electronic address: azizswabi@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Azizullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azizullah
mesh_terms: D029688:Brassica napus / Q000254:growth & development*; D060729:Coal Ash / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects*; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000378:metabolism*; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D060729:Coal Ash; D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Biomass; Brassica napus; Seedling growth; Soil microflora; Wood ash