Alkaline extract from vermicompost reduced the stress promoted by As on maize plants and increase their phytoextraction capacity

Abstract

Arsenic (As) represents an environmental risk and phytoremediation has been identified as a good technique to recover contaminated soils. Plants defense mechanisms needed to be enhanced against As stress-promoting action by biostimulants such as humic materials. This work sought to determine the effectiveness of an alkaline vermicompost extract (AEV) and in mitigating stresses promoted by As in maize plants, increasing their potential use for phytoextraction. The AEV were extracted from vermicompost and two preliminary assays in Leonard pots were carried out: the first one to define the best AEV concentration-response dose and the second to point out the toxic As concentration. The second step was to set up a 28-day long experiment with the following four treatments: control, AEV, As, As + AEV. AEV attenuated As-induced stress in maize plants. Maize dry biomass was reduced in the As treatment and rebalanced to values similar to the control in the As + HS treatment while the plants treated only with HS showed the highest biomass among the treatments. The concentrations of P, Fe, Cu, Mn and Ni, and catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) antioxidant activity increased in the As treatment and decreased in the As + AEV treatment. The rate of photosynthesis decreased, and the internal CO₂ concentration increased with stress induced by As, where both effects were attenuated by AEV. Our results show the positive effect of the AEV in alleviating As abiotic stress on maize growth, offering new options of employment of humic substances in phytoremediation process.

Keywords: Biostimulants; Enzymes; Phosphorus; Photosynthesis; Phytoremediation.