Combined application of biochar and silicon on physiological and antioxidant defense mechanism of wheat against plastic induced stress

The exponential rise in plastic waste has become a major problem for the environment and public health because of its high stability, non-biodegradable nature and long-term persistence. This investigation analyzed the effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on wheat plants and the alleviation of its adverse effects using jackfruit shell biochar (JSBC) and potassium silicate (Si). The pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the individual and combined effects of PET, JSBC, and Si treatments on the growth of wheat plants. After treatment, wheat plants were harvested for analysis of morphological and biochemical variables, oxidative stress markers, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and glyoxalase enzyme activities. Exposure of wheat plants to PET treatment decreased morphological traits and relative water content, caused photosynthetic damage and increased lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage. The combined treatment of JSBC and Si in PET-treated pots reduced electrolyte leakage, levels of H 2 O 2 and O 2 ·− by 29%, 53%, and 31%, respectively, as compared to the PET treatment. Application of JSBC and Si, individually or combined, enhanced growth attributes of wheat plants and alleviated PET-induced oxidative stress by modulating activities of antioxidant and glyoxalase enzymes. The findings of the present study underscore the beneficial effects of the combined applications of biochar and potassium silicate for enhancing growth of wheat plants under plastic stress. Thus, the combined application of JSBC and Si acts as a promising strategy for plastic contaminant mitigation and reutilization of waste materials as renewable assets to combat plastic pollution in the soil ecosystem.