Coupling of biochar and silicon for Phyto-management of Cd contaminated soil using Brachiaria mutica

Contamination of soil with heavy metals is a threatening global environmental problem. With increasing urbanization, it is very important to design economical and environment-friendly mitigation measures to have pollutant free soil. Phytoremediation is an advancing technique to extract pollutants from soil to achieve eco-sustainability. This study aimed to investigate the combined impact of biochar and silicon on growth attributes of Brachiaria mutica grown in cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil. The biochar was prepared by co-pyrolysis of agricultural left-over biomass (rice husk, bamboo leaves and corn cob in a 1:1:1 ratio) and physio-chemical characters were studied by FTIR, SEM-EDX and proximate analysis. A pot study was conducted to evaluate the potency of biochar and silicon in lowering the Cd uptake by para grass grown under Cd spiked soil. Total 8 treatments were planned by taking 1 % and 2 % biochar with 0.01 % and 0.02 % silicon. The results have shown that treatment 8 (2 % biochar and 0.02 % silicon) exhibited maximum improvement in growth parameters such as shoot length by 2.64-fold and root length by 44.9 %, along with improving the antioxidant defense system of Para grass (CAT by 2-fold and POD by 56.4 %). Application of treatment 8 also decreased Cd concentration in the shoot and root by 48.8 % and 47.4 %, respectively. Treatment 8 was most effective in reducing CaCl₂ extractable Cd in soil up to 56.1 %. Based on this data, treatment 8 was most effectual in suppressing Cd stress. Biochar produced from other agricultural waste material along with Si as inorganic amendment can be used to immobilize other toxic heavy metals at field level. Heavy metals immobilization potential of Si and biochar can be tested by harvesting other grasses and oil seed crop species.