Amended Treatment of Pb-Polluted Soil Using Animal Dung Composites and Micrococcus sp.: Evaluating their Effects on Maize seedlings Growth

Here, amended bioremediation of Pb-polluted soil with poultry waste, cow dung and their consortium, in addition to Micrococcus sp., used as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), was carried out, and their effects on maize seedlings growth evaluated. After 25 days period of treatment of Pb-polluted soil and germination of corn seeds planted on them, growth parameters including height of shoot, and number of leaves were recorded on day 4, weeks 2, 4 and 7. Results revealed an increase in the pH, organic carbon content and soil organic matter content of the samples soil after treatment. Treatment with cow dung alone produced significantly highest alkalinity of 12.18% at 33.75 mg/kg, 14.18% at 44.02 mg/kg, and 10.05% at 52.55 mg/kg Pb pollution. The N and P contents of all treated soil samples were significantly higher than those of control samples. There was increment in the dehydrogenase activity in all treated Pb-polluted soil samples. The chlorophyll contents of seedlings grown on treated samples were more than those of seedlings on control samples. The seedlings on soil treated with cow dung only, produced the highest total chlorophyll contents of 1.06?0.07 mg/g at 32.75 mg/kg, 0.71?0.02 mg/g at 42.02 mg/kg and 0.68?0.09 mg/g total chlorophyll at 52.55 mg/kg levels of Pb pollution. The range of Pb bioaccumulation in maize leaf was 1.26?0.07 mg/kg to 3.8?0.05 mg/kg; 0.78?0.04 mg/kg to 1.84?0.1 mg/kg in the stem and 4.34?0.07 mg/kg to 8.7?0.15 mg/kg in root samples. These results prove that the amendments used in the study enhanced the seedlings growth.