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Mitigating chromium stress on pea (Pisum sativum L.) by foliar application of trehalose

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Overview

This pot experiment examined the effects of chromium (Cr) stress (applied as CrCl3 at 100 uM) on two pea varieties (Supreme and Meteor) and tested whether foliar application of trehalose (5 or 10 mM) could mitigate those effects. The study measured chromium accumulation in soil, shoot, and grain tissues and documented effects on growth, photosynthesis, antioxidants, and ion balance. It is a stress physiology experiment, not a food survey.

Key numbers

Chromium accumulation in soil, shoot, and grain under Cr stress (Table 2, p.10):

  • Under 100 uM Cr stress (no trehalose), soil, shoot and grain Cr increased by 69.4% and 44.5% (Supreme and Meteor, relative to control).
  • Foliar trehalose at 5 mM reduced soil, shoot and grain Cr by 7.2% and 13.2%, 18.0% and 4.6%, 9.3% and 5.0% (Supreme and Meteor) relative to untreated Cr-stressed plants.
  • Foliar trehalose at 10 mM reduced soil, shoot and grain Cr by 14.0% and 24.8%, 31.6% and 22.3%, 18.3% and 17.9% (Supreme and Meteor) relative to untreated Cr-stressed plants.

Shoot fresh weight (SFW) reductions under Cr stress (abstract, p.1):

  • Supreme: SFW decreased 12.4%, root length decreased 16.2%, total chlorophyll decreased 13.6%.
  • Meteor: SFW decreased 19.2%, root length decreased 16.1%, total chlorophyll decreased 14.3%.

Ion balance under Cr stress (without trehalose, relative to control):

  • Shoot K+ decreased up to 39.7-39.4%; shoot Ca2+ decreased up to 39.8-33.1% (p.8).
  • Shoot Na+ increased by 67.1-60.9% (p.9).

After trehalose 10 mM application under Cr stress:

  • Shoot K+ increased by 47.25-42.8%; shoot Ca2+ increased by 47.3-30.4% above Cr-stressed control (p.8).

Methods (brief)

Pot experiment, Old Botanical Garden, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, October-March growing season. Completely Randomized Design, 3 replications, 36 pots total. Chromium applied as CrCl3 (CrCl3 x 6H2O) at 1 L per pot, 1 as 1 per pot per week for 5 weeks after sowing. Trehalose (0, 5, 10 mM) sprayed over leaves. Cr accumulation by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) on HNO3-digested plant and soil material. Ion concentrations (Na+, K+, Ca2+) by Sherwood Flame Photometer Model 410. Data analyzed by three-way ANOVA; Tukey’s HSD at p < 0.05. Co-stat software and R statistical software used. Chromium concentration applied (100 uM approximately 5.2 mg/L) is a moderate experimental stress level. No LOD/LOQ or certified reference material reported.

Implications

Relevant to the frozen peas pathway section: documents that chromium applied to soil enters pea roots and accumulates in shoot tissue, and that this accumulation increases substantially with Cr concentration. The study also shows that chromium stress disrupts K+, Ca2+, and Na+ ion balance in pea shoots, adding context for the competitive effects of heavy metal contamination on nutrient status. The trehalose foliar application results are relevant to the mitigation section: a non-toxic osmoprotectant applied to leaves measurably reduced chromium accumulation in shoot and grain tissue, though the reduction (7-24% at 5-10 mM) was partial rather than complete.

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