Effects of Vermiculite and Azospirillum brasilense on Wheat Growth and Physiology under Cadmium Stress

Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Hafiz M. Usman Aslam; Akhtar Hameed; Nadeem Ahmed; Luqman Amrao; Kamran Ikram; Rana Mubashar Hassan; Muhammad Tanveer Altaf; Muhammad Waheed Riaz; Muhammad Aamir Manzoor; Shamsur Rehman; Rahila Islamzade; Tariverdi Islamzade; Lamy Hamed

doi:10.3791/71724

A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.

Research Article

Effects of Vermiculite and Azospirillum brasilense on Wheat Growth and Physiology under Cadmium Stress

181 views

⸱

DOI:

10.3791/71724

⸱

July 3rd, 2026

Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer¹ , Hafiz M. Usman Aslam²^,³ , Akhtar Hameed² , Nadeem Ahmed² , Luqman Amrao⁴ , Kamran Ikram¹ , Rana Mubashar Hassan⁵ , Muhammad Tanveer Altaf⁶ , Muhammad Waheed Riaz⁷ , Muhammad Aamir Manzoor⁸ , Shamsur Rehman⁹ , Rahila Islamzade¹⁰^,¹¹ , Tariverdi Islamzade¹² , Lamy Hamed¹³

¹Department of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, ²Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Plant Protection, MNS-University of Agriculture, ³Plant Pathology Program, San Luis Valley Research Center, Colorado State University, ⁴Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, ⁵Department of Agriculture, Government of Punjab, ⁶Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, ⁷Taizhou Liusui Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., ⁸Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, ⁹National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, ¹⁰Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, Agrochemistry and Biotechnology Research Group, ¹¹Sumgayit State University, Chemical Engineering and Ecology, ¹²Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Institute of Geography, ¹³Department of Environment and Agricultural Natural Resources, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University

Summary

Application of vermiculite and Azospirillum brasilense, particularly in combination, improved wheat growth, grain yield, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll content while reducing electrolyte leakage and Cd accumulation in plant tissues under cadmium (Cd) stress.

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils poses a serious threat to crop productivity and human health. This study evaluated the potential of Vermiculite and the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense to alleviate Cd toxicity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A pot experiment with three replications and nine treatments was conducted: T0 (Control), T1 (Cd 100 mg/kg), T2 (Cd 100 mg/kg + Vermiculite), T3 (Cd 100 mg/kg + A. brasilense), T4 (Cd 100 mg/kg + Vermiculite + A. brasilense), T5 (Cd 200 mg/kg), T6 (Cd 200 mg/kg + Vermiculite), T7 (Cd 200 mg/kg + A. brasilense), and T8 (Cd 200 mg/kg + Vermiculite + A. brasilense). Higher Cd levels caused more severe growth inhibition in wheat. However, treatments with vermiculite and A. brasilense significantly improved plant growth, reduced Cd accumulation in plant tissues, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT). Notably, the combined application of vermiculite and A. brasilense (T4 and T8) showed the most effective mitigation of Cd stress. At 100 mg/kg Cd (T4), wheat plants showed a 10.67% increase in height, 10.21% longer spike length, and 19.87% higher grain yield compared to Cd-only treatment. Under 200 mg/kg Cd stress (T8), the same combination led to a 44.83% increase in plant height, 17.63% spike length improvement, and a 44.83% yield increase relative to untreated Cd-stressed plants (T5). These results demonstrate that the synergistic use of Vermiculite and Azospirillum brasilense enhances wheat tolerance to Cd toxicity. Their combined application improves growth parameters, physiological traits, and yield under Cd-stressed conditions, providing an eco-friendly approach for remediating Cd-contaminated soils and sustaining wheat productivity.

Introduction

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a vital staple food crop that provides a main energy source for millions of people¹. As a primary food source, it is cultivated on vast expanses of agricultural land, particularly in temperate regions. Wheat's versatility, nutritional value, and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions make it a cornerstone of food security². However, the yield potential of wheat is often compromised by different abiotic and biotic stress factors, leading to substantial losses in productivity. One of the pressing challenges facing wheat production today is soil contamination with heavy....