Growth and physiological changes of Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC (Fabaceae) exposed to potentially toxic concentrations of nickel in the vegetative and reproductive phases

• Grant number: 24/08007-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2024
• End date: October 06, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Applied Botany
• Principal Investigator: Liliane Santos de Camargos
• Grantee: Gabriela da Silva Raqueti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Nickel has been recognized as essential for higher plants since the 1980s, as it is a component of the urease enzyme. This study focuses on the response of Canavalia ensiformis (jack beans) to the presence of nickel (Ni) in potentially toxic concentrations in the soil. The species grows well in different types of soil and is tolerant of partial shade and is commonly used as green manure. Three hypotheses were formulated: the species will be able to complete its cycle in soils with toxic doses of nickel up to 240 mg.dm³ in the soil, which will be evaluated by non-destructive methods, measurements of shoot length over time, by the formation of pods and seeds; Changes in gas exchange and metabolism will occur as a strategy to resist toxicity conditions so that the plant can complete its cycle; as the availability of Ni in the soil increases, the concentration of this element in the seed will be greater in plants that are able to complete their cycle. life. The objectives include evaluating plant growth and production, possible metabolic changes, in addition to analyzing changes in gas exchange and fluorescence over time. The work proposes to use some non-destructive methods to characterize the plant's responses to the presence of Ni, highlighting its acclimatization capacity. Furthermore, at the end of the experiment, it is expected to show that the accumulation of nitrogen compounds can be an indicator of tolerance to the presence of Ni, in addition to showing that the increase in Ni concentration in seeds is related to its importance in the initial development of the seed. plant.