Effect of adding compost or loam to the sandy soil on helping, murraya paniculata L. jack plants to overcome the toxicity of some heavy metals

Two pot experiments were conducted in the open field at the Experimental Farm of Hort. Res. Inst., Giza, Egypt during 2008 and 2009 seasons to detect the role of application of either compost or loam to sandy soil at the rate of 20% (by volume) in reducing the deleterious effects of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) combinations at concentrations of 00.00 ppm for each metal (as a control) (T1), 500 ppm Pb + 50 ppm Cd + 25 ppm Ni as treatment number two (£2), and 3-and 5-fold of these concentrations for treatments numbers three (T3) and (T4), respectively on the growth and chemical composition of one-year-old (Murraya paniculata L.) Jack plants grown in 20-cm-diameter black polyethylene bags filled with 2.5 kg of each of the soil mixtures mentioned above. The obtained results indicated that survival (%) and vegetative and root growth were progressively decreased in the two seasons with increasing heavy metals concentration, while were improved in response to addition of either compost on loam with the superiority of compost treatment, which gave the highest means in both seasons. Root length, however was significantly reduced in response to either heavy metals treatments or compost. A gradual decrement in the percent of pollution resistance index (PRI %) was also noticed with elevating heavy metals level, but application of either compost or loam greatly improved this parameter. Chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids content in the leaves were cumulatively decreased as the rates of heavy metals were increased, while the contents of Pb, Cd and Ni in the leaves and roots were augmentatively increased. Supporting the sand with either compost or loam markedly decreased the content of Pb, Cd and Ni in the leaves and roots. The mastership in all previous measurements was due' to compost treatment. So, it could be recommended to supply a polluted sandy soil with 20% of compost (by volume) to minimize the harmful effects of heavy metals and improve growth and quality of (Murraya paniculata L.) Jack transplants grown in such type of soil.