Enrichment and translocation of heavy metals in soil and plant of Vicia faba L. (Faba bean) after fertigation with distillery effluent

ANOVA-Analysis of variance; BISBureau of Indian standards; RTRelative toxicity; LAILeaf area index; HIHarvest index This investigation studies the enrichment and translocation of heavy metals in soil and plan of V. faba (Faba bean, var. Pusa Sumit) after fertigation with distillery effluent. A field experiment was conducted in the experimental garden of Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar, during the year 2011 and 2012. Doses of distillery effluent viz. 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% were used for fertigation of V. faba along with bored deep tubewell water (control). The results revealed that distillery effluent had significant (P<0.01) effect on soil characteristics viz. EC, pH, Cl-, OC, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, TKN, PO4, SO4, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn of the soil. The soil characteristics were recorded to positively correlate with different concentration of distillery effluent. The agronomical characteristics viz. shoot length, root length, number of flowers, pods, dry weight, chlorophyll content, leaf area index (LAI), crop yield and HI of Vica faba, increased with irrigation of distillery effluents from 10% to 25% and decreased with the increase in effluent concentration from 50% to100% as compared to control. Maximum performance of agronomic characteristics of V. faba was recorded with 25% concentration of distillery effluent. The biochemical components viz. crude proteins, crude fiber and crude carbohydrates were noted maximum with 25% concentration of distillery effluent. The enrichment factor of heavy metals were in the order of Zn>Mn>Cr>Cd>Cu for soil and Cu>Zn>Mn>Cr>Cd in plant of V. faba after fertigation with distillery effluent. The translocation of various heavy metals in different plant parts of V. faba were in order of leaves>shoot>root> fruits for Cu, Mn and Zn, root>shoot>leaves>fruit for Cd and shoot>root>leaves>fruit for Cr after distillery effluent irrigation. Thus the distillery effluent with appropriate dilution can be used as a bio-fertigant for V. faba.