Supplementation of fly ash improves growth, yield, biochemical, and enzymatic antioxidant response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

This research was investigated to assess the effect of fly ash (FA) on the growth, yield, biochemical attributes, and enzymatic antioxidant response of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. Avrodhi). After evaluating soil and FA nutrient status by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), different concentrations of FA with soil were applied (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30%). Chickpea plants grown at all FA-amended soil concentrations demonstrate significant improvement (p ≤ 0.05) in growth and yield biomass. Exhibition of enhancement in biochemical attributes such as photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, and total carotenoid by 16.83, 24.50, 19.13, and 21.74%), total protein (48.54%), leghemoglobin (42.39%), nitrate reductase activity (18.35%), proline content (28.16%), and antioxidant enzymes activities. Moreover, an improvement in the stomatal pore of the FA treated plant also noticed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Overall, the findings of this study indicate that the supplementation of FA contributed to increment in these attributes at all the concentrations compared with control (without FA) ‘but maximally ~ up to FA 20%.’ However, plant growth and yield biomass decreased above the concentration of FA 20% because chickpea can balanced nutrients efficiency up to FA 20%.