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EVALUATION OF AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION EFFECTS ON THREE CULTIVARS OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.) BY USING ETHYLENEDIUREA

ABDUL WAHID¹, SHEIKH SAEED AHMAD^2*, Yuechun Zhao³ AND J.N.B. Bell⁴

Abstract: Study was conducted in the suburbs of Lahore city of Pakistan to ascertain the protective effects of ethylene diurea (EDU) on three cultivars of sesame plants against ambient air pollutants. Seasonal mean 10 hr pollution levels at the site remained very high (O₃: 91 ppb; NO₂: 38 ppb; SO₂: 10 ppb). It was found that plants treated with highest EDU concentration (500 ppm) showed increases in stomatal conductance (52%), transpiration rate (53%) and net photosynthesis rate (61%) compared with non-EDU treated plants. EDU treated plants depicted luxurious vegetative growth with reduced rate of leaf senescence compared to control plants. EDU protection was remarkable on different biochemical attributes with increases recorded in total chlorophyll by 31%, carotenoids by 15%, protein by 62%, and ascorbic acid by 65%. Total dry biomass was increased from 147-197% and root/shoot ratio from 29-37% in EDU-treated plants compared to plant in non-EDU. Seed yield was greater by 33-43% in different sesame cultivars treated with highest EDU concentration than non-EDU plants demonstrating the efficacy of EDU in preventing air pollutants induced yield losses. The results have wider implications in understanding the injurious effects of air pollutants on agroeconomic husbandry in Pakistan.

¹Department of Environmental Science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

²Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

³Department of Applied Chemistry, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

⁴Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK.

*Corresponding author E-mail:  drsaeed@fjwu.edu.pk; Tel.: +92.321.5167726