Effect of phytoremediated fly ash as soil amendment on morphological and biochemical traits of Triticum aestivum

This study assessed the effect of Fly ash (FA) as soil amendment on the growth of Triticum aestivum. A completely randomized pot experiment was conducted under natural conditions (open sunlight, ambient temperature, and humidity) at the Department of Botany, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur (C.G.), India. Six growing conditions i.e., FFA (fresh fly ash), RFA (reclaimed fly ash), NS (normal soil) as control, 1:1 (RFA + NS) by weight, 1:2 w/w, and 1:3 w/w were thoroughly mixed, prepared and filled in (6 conditions × 3 replicate = 18) pots. Parameters such as heavy metal concentration, germination percentage, root length, shoot length, seedling height, fresh and dry weight, leaf area, were measured at 10 and 15 days after sowing (DAS), while chlorophyll, protein, and carbohydrate levels were analyzed from 15 to 45 DAS. Concentration of 12 targeted heavy metals were highest in FFA followed by RFA. The 1:3 mixture produced the tallest seedlings (22.5 ± 0.96, 26.63 ± 0.36) at 10 and 15 DAS measurement with improved biomass and germination (100%) followed by 1:2 compared to NS. 1:1 and 1:2 amendments showed higher chlorophyll accumulation and enhanced carbohydrate and protein content in wheat compared to FFA, RFA, and NS. Repeated-measures (RM-ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni post hoc test confirmed significant differences among treatments (p < .05), indicating improved physiological performance under 1:1 and 1:2 amendments across all growth stages (15, 30, and 45 DAS). Under our pot conditions, RFA: NS mixtures (1:2–1:3) improved early growth metrics compared to NS and FFA. However, plant tissue metal concentrations and field-scale risks were not assessed; therefore, the use of RFA requires further investigation under controlled safety thresholds.