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Co-application of biochar and melatonin enhances rice resilience to combined lead and microplastics stress via modulating antioxidant defense, hormonal regulation, gene expression, and soil quality
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Lead pollution and microplastics in soil team up to stunt rice plants and shrink harvests—bad news since rice is a staple food for billions. This study found that adding two natural soil treatments, biochar (a charcoal-like soil additive) and melatonin (yes, the same hormone in your sleep supplements), helped rice plants fight off this stress, boosting yields and cutting lead uptake by over a third. While this research was done in controlled greenhouse conditions rather than real-world farms, it points to a promising, low-cost way to grow safer, more abundant food in increasingly polluted soil.
Abstract Background Microplastics (MPs) pollution is becoming a serious challenge and poses ecological risks. MPs are known to interact with heavy metals, such as lead (Pb), adversely impacting plant growth. Both biochar (BC) and melatonin (MT) have been extensively utilized in soil remediation efforts. However, the combined effect of BC and MT in alleviating the combined toxicity of Pb and MPs has not been investigated. Methodology The study included various treatments: T1: control, T2: Pb (250 mg kg− 1) + MPs (1%), T3: Pb (250 mg kg− 1) + MPs (1%) + BC (2%), T4: Pb (250 mg kg− 1) + MPs (1%) + MT (100 µM) and T5: Pb (250 mg kg− 1) + MPs (1%) + BC (2%) + MT (100 µM). Results Lead + MPs reduced the rice biomass yield (BY: 25.26%) and grain yield (GY: 41.51%) by increasing the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), Pb accumulation, and decreasing the indole acetic synthesis (IAA), gibberellic acid synthesis (GA), transpiration rate (Tr), photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO2 (Ci), soil nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium availability. The combination of BC + MT enhanced rice BY (18.20%) and GY (39.59%) by increasing IAA (36.75%), GA (41.90%), Pn (32.35%), Tr (37.15%), gs (44.44%), and Ci (20.69%) and decreasing the production of MDA and H2O2 by increasing the antioxidants activity (41.17–52.55%). Furthermore, the combined application of BC and MT resulted in the upregulation of antioxidant genes (OsAPx6, OsCAT, OsPOD, and OsSOD), melatonin synthesis gene (OsASMT1), and proline biosynthesis gene (OsP5CS), while concurrently downregulating genes associated with lead uptake (OsHMA9 and OsNRAMP5). The BC + MT treatment also improved soil total nitrogen (TN) by 28.19%, available phosphorus (AP) by 26.73%, and available potassium (AK) by 18.81%, alongside an increase in soil pH. Additionally, it reduced soil lead availability by 37.18%, collectively contributing to enhanced rice biomass and grain yield. Conclusion Thus, BC + MT can alleviate adversities of Pb + MPs by improving soil fertility, plant functioning, hormonal balance, and gene expression. These findings offer insights to develop measures to enhance the crop in multi-polluted soils.
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Co-application of biochar and melatonin enhances rice resilience to combined lead and microplastics stress via modulating antioxidant defense, hormonal regulation, gene expression, and soil quality
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Lead pollution and microplastics in soil team up to stunt rice growth and reduce harvests — a real concern since rice is a staple food for billions. This study found that adding charcoal-like "biochar" plus melatonin (a natural compound) to contaminated soil helped rice plants defend themselves, absorb less lead, and produce nearly as much grain as healthy plants, suggesting a practical way to grow safer food in polluted farmland.
Additional file 1 of Co-application of biochar and melatonin enhances rice resilience to combined lead and microplastics stress via modulating antioxidant defense, hormonal regulation, gene expression, and soil quality
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I'm not able to write an accurate summary of this paper's findings because the text provided is only a supplementary materials file, not the actual research paper with results and data. To give you a reliable, accurate TLDR, I'd need the full paper text or abstract that describes what the researchers actually did and found. That said, based on the title alone, here's what I can tell you the study likely explored: researchers tested whether treating rice plants with biochar (a charcoal-like soil additive) and melatonin (yes, the same hormone in sleep supplements) could help rice grow better in soil contaminated with both lead and microplastics — two pollutants increas
Co-application of biochar and melatonin enhances rice resilience to combined lead and microplastics stress via modulating antioxidant defense, hormonal regulation, gene expression, and soil quality
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that co-applying biochar and melatonin to soil contaminated with lead and microplastics restored rice biomass and grain yield by boosting antioxidant enzyme activity, upregulating protective genes, suppressing lead-uptake genes, and improving soil nutrient availability, suggesting this dual amendment as a viable strategy for multi-pollutant agricultural soils.
Biochar and melatonin alleviate microplastic–cadmium (MP-Cd) stress in rice by enhancing antioxidant activity and regulating Cd transport
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Microplastics and cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) in soil can build up in rice plants, threatening both crop yields and the safety of the food supply. This study found that combining biochar (a charcoal-like soil additive) with melatonin significantly helped rice plants resist this pollution—boosting their natural defenses while blocking cadmium from being absorbed into the plant tissue we eat. While this research was done in controlled conditions rather than real-world farms, it points to a promising, low-cost strategy for growing safer rice in increasingly polluted soils.
Additional file 1 of Co-application of biochar and melatonin enhances rice resilience to combined lead and microplastics stress via modulating antioxidant defense, hormonal regulation, gene expression, and soil quality
AI summary Read the abstract
I'm not able to write an accurate summary here because the text provided is just a supplementary file placeholder ("Supplementary Material 1"), not the actual research content. The title suggests this study looked at whether adding biochar (a charcoal-like soil additive) and melatonin to soil can help rice plants better withstand pollution from lead and microplastics—both of which can end up in food and pose health concerns for people who eat contaminated crops. To write an accurate TLDR, I'd need the full abstract or paper text describing the actual methods and results. Could you share that content?
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