A greenhouse pot trial was conducted to investigate the effect of organic amendments combined with triple superphosphate on the bioavailability of heavy metals (HMs), Amorpha fruticosa growth and metal uptake from Pb-Zn mine tailings. Cattle manure compost (CMC), spent mushroom compost (SMC) and agricultural field soil (AFS) were applied to tailings at 5%, 10%, 20% and 30% w/w ratio, whereas sewage sludge (SS) and wood biochar (WB) were mixed at 2.5%, 5%, 10% and 20% w/w ratio. Triple superphosphate (TSP) was added to all the treatments at 4:1 (molar ratio). Amendments efficiently decreased DTPA-extracted Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu in treatments. Chlorophyll contents and shoot and root dry biomass significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the treatments of CMC (except T4 for chlorophyll b) and SMC, whereas treatments of SS (except T1 for chlorophyll a and b), WB and AFS (except T4 for chlorophyll a and b) did not show positive effects as compared to CK1. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) values in plant tissues were below 1 for most treatments. In amended treatments, soluble protein content increased, phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) decreased, and catalase (CAT) activity showed varied results as compared to CK1 and CK2. Results suggested that A. fruticosa can be a potential metal phytostabilizer and use of CMC or SMC in combination with TSP are more effective than other combinations for the in situ stabilization of Pb-Zn mine tailings.

Ca-bentonite (CB) alone and in a mixture with limestone (L), tobacco biochar (TB) and zeolite (Z) on the fixation, geochemical fractions and absorption of Cd and Zn by Chinese cabbage in smelter heavily polluted (S-HP) and smelter low polluted (S-LP) soils were investigated. The results showed that the CB + TB and CB + L + TB treatments significantly immobilized Cd up to 22.0% and 29.7%, respectively, and reduced uptake by Chinese cabbage shoot to 36.0% with CB + Z + L and 61.3% with CB + L in S-HP and S-LP soils compared with the control. The CB + Z + L + TB treatment mobilized Cd up to 4.4% and increased absorption in the shoot by 9.9% in S-HP soil. The greatest immobilization of Zn was 53.2% and 58.2% with the CB + Z + L + TB treatment, which reduced Zn uptake in the plant shoot by 10.0% with CB + L and 58.0% with CB + Z + L + TB in S-HP and S-LP soils. The CB + Z + TB and CB + TB treatments mobilized Zn up to 35.4% and 4.9%, respectively, in both soils. Furthermore, the uptake of Zn in plant shoot was observed by 59.0% and 7.9% with application of CB + Z and CB + TB treatments, respectively, in S-HP and S-LP soils. Overall, our results suggest that Ca-bentonite alone and in mixtures with different amendments can be used to reduce the phyto-extraction of Cd and Zn in Zn-smelter polluted soils.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of innovative mineral–organic mixtures containing zeolite composites produced from fly ashes and lignite or leonardite on the fractional composition of soil organic matter in sandy loam soil under two-year pot experiments with maize. The fractional composition of soil organic matter (SOM) was analyzed and changes in the functional properties of soil groups were identified using the ATR-FTIR method. Changes in the content of phenolic compounds were assessed, and the potential impact of fertilizer mixtures on soil carbon stocks was investigated. The addition of these mixtures improved the stability of SOM. The application of mineral–organic mixtures significantly increased the total organic carbon (TOC) by 18% after the 2nd year of the experiment. The maximum TOC content in the soil was observed by 33% with the addition of MC3%Leo3% amendment. Nitrogen content in soil was increased by 62% with MV9%Leo6% additive, indicating increased soil fertility. The study highlighted an increase in fulvic acid carbon relative to humic acid carbon, signaling positive changes in organic matter quality. The new mineral–organic mixtures influence changes in specific functional groups (ATR-FTIR) present in the soil matrix, compared to mineral fertilization alone. The additive mixtures also contributed to an increase in soil carbon stocks, highlighting their potential for long-term improvement of soil fertility and carbon sequestration.

Water stress has become one of the foremost constraints to agricultural development, mostly in areas that are deficient in water. A field trial has been conducted to evaluate the performance of different twenty wheat genotypes under three stress treatments viz., control (T0) = normal watering, stress-1 (T1) = water stress from tillering up to maturity, and stress-2 (T2) = water stress from anthesis to maturity were used as treatments. The results revealed that a highly significant (p < 0.01) difference was observed among twenty wheat cultivars for morpho-physiological traits except for several tillers plant⁻¹, spikeletspike⁻¹, and relative water content. In the early days, 50% flowering was noted in Anmole-91 (64.33 days) under (T0), while Anmol-91 showed a relative decrease (RD-1) (−2.34 days) at days 50% flowering in (T1). The TJ-83 genotype showed an early response (−8.34 day) at days to 50% flowering under stress-2 (T2), but TD-I (−3.34) was observed to be relatively tolerant. Underwater stress from tillering to maturity (T1) SKD-1 was found more susceptible (−36.7 days) than other cultivars. Wheat cultivar Soghat-90 showed maximum RD-1 (−24.7) for grain yield plant⁻¹ in stress-1 (T1) from tillering to maturity. Anmole-91, NIA-Sarang, and TD-I observed minimum was (−6) in the same water stress for various traits. Therefore, the findings of present work revealed that the best performing genotypes can be recommended for effective cultivation in future breeding programs.