RESPONSE OF Lantana camara var. Nana PLANTS TO FOLIAR APPLIED MALIC ACID FOR DECREASING THE HARMFUL EFFECT OF LEAD POLLUTION IN THE IRRIGATION WATER

The present study was carried-out at Antoniades Research Branch, Horticultural Research Institute, A.R.C. Alexandria, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2017 and 2018. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water contaminated with lead on Lantana camara var. Nana plants and the possibility of using malic acid spray treatments to alleviate the effects of lead pollution. Seedlings of Lantana camara var. Nana were planted individually in plastic pots (20 cm diameter) filled with 6 kg of mixture soil (sand and clay (1:1)). The leadcontaminated irrigation water treatments were 0,100, 200 and 300 ppm. The plants were monthly sprayed with malic acid at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 ppm. The results showed that for vegetative growth parameters there, was no significant difference in the interaction between lead concentrations and foliar spray by malic acid. While a significant reduction was observed in all parameters after irrigation with lead contaminated water, and a significant increase in vegetative growth parameters was observed after 250 ppm malic acid application. For chlorophyll and carbohydrate content, the highest significant value were obtained from plants irrigated with tap water and sprayed with 500 ppm malic acid. While the highest significant amount of lead content in leaves, stem and roots were obtained from the treatment 300 ppm lead without application of malic acid. Key wards: Lantana camara var.Nana, lead, malic acid.