PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICES AND PCA-BASED EVALUATION OF CHROMIUM TOXICITY IN PEARL MILLET (Pennisetum glaucum L.), JOWAR (Sorghum bicolor L.) AND FINGER MILLET (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn)
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Authors
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GANDHI N
Department of crop physiology, Green Fields Institute of Agriculture, Research and Training, Hyderabad, Telangana
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RAMA GOVINDA REDDY Y
Department of crop physiology, Green Fields Institute of Agriculture, Research and Training, Hyderabad, Telangana
Keywords:
Biochemical response, Chromium, Finger millet (Eleusine coracana(L.) Gaertn), Jowar (Sorghum bicolor L.),, Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.), Seed germinationAbstract
To evaluate the impact of chromium (Cr) contamination from unregulated waste disposal on
dryland crops, a two-season experiment was conducted during the 2023 and 2024 Kharif seasons.
The study aimed to assess the toxicological effects of chromium on physiological growth indices
and tolerance mechanisms in crops of agronomic importance. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum
L.), jowar (Sorghum bicolor L.), and finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn) were grown in red
soils amended with chromium at concentrations of 0 (control), 4, 8, 12, and 15 mg/kg under a
completely randomized design with four replications. Mean values from both seasons were used
for analysis. Seed germination, total root number, root length, shoot height, and root:shoot ratio
of seedlings were measured and integrated to calculate a metal tolerance index (MTI) for each
crop. Results showed that increasing chromium concentrations exerted adverse effects on seed
germination, early growth, and tolerance of crop seedlings, with the highest concentration (15
mg/kg) causing the most severe inhibition. Among the crops, jowar exhibited the highest sensitivity,
followed by pearl millet and finger millet, indicating greater tolerance of ragi seedlings to chromium
toxicity. Lower concentrations of chromium had a more pronounced negative effect on sorghum
seedlings compared to the others, but were relatively less detrimental to pearl millet and finger
millet. From a toxicological perspective, this study highlights the inhibitory effects of chromium
even at low levels, underscoring the need to monitor and manage heavy metal contamination in
soils to safeguard crop productivity and food safety.
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