MORPHOLOGICAL RESPONSES AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF FOUR SELECTED PLANTS IN A METALLIFEROUS SOIL

ABSTRACT

Heavy metals are essential for plants growth, and act as key components of many vital compounds. However, an increase in concentration above required amount may pose a great hazard to the plants. These may result in symptoms such as growth delay and inhibition of biochemical reactions. This present study investigated the effects of six heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Fe) on the Plant height, number of leaves, Leaf area, plant girth and inflorescence of Eleusine indica, Amaranthus spinosus, Andropogon tectorum and Peperomia pellucid and results discussed. The young seedlings of the four test plants was sown in soil treated with six heavy metals. This experiment was made up of control soil and six soil treatments with six different metals in three replicates, data was collected on periodic basis for eight weeks Chlorophyll content was also measured in the leaves of the test plants by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The total chlorophyll content reduced in all the plants except Peperomia pellucida. At the end of the experiment on the plant morphological development, result showed that the control did better compared to the test plants, the test plants at about four weeks began to experience repressive growth effects as a result of metal contamination.