Research of the Effect of Ni (Nickel) Treatment at Different Concentrations on Morphological Features of Some Grain Sorghum Varieties

Abstract

There is no doubt that agricultural production is one of the most affected parts of environmental pollution, which is increasing day by day. Among these pollution factors, heavy metals are the most common. Ni element is used in many fields, especially in industry, and it contaminates the soil and water where agricultural production is made. In this study, it was aimed to determine the changes in the morphological features of the plants by treatmenting different concentrations of Ni to some sorghum varieties (Akdarı, Beydarı and Öğretmenoğlu) registered in our country and obtained from the Batı Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute (BATEM). The research was carried out in the greenhouses of Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Faculty of Agriculture, during the summer crop growing season in 2017. 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg kg-1 nickel (Ni) was treatmented to grain sorghum varieties. The features examined at the end of the 130-day growing period; grain weight, cluster length, plant height, plant stem diameter, stem ratio, leaf ratio and cluster ratio. Although the morphological features of the plants generally show a neutral or positive effect up to 200-300 mg kg-1 levels at different Ni concentrations applied, it has been observed that the morphological features of the plants are adversely affected at Ni levels above these doses. In this study, it is thought that depending on the concentration of the Ni element, in some cases it has a nutrient effect, and in some cases it causes heavy metal stress.