Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Journal of Plant Nutrition, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soil is one of the most significant problems affecting agricultural production. These contaminants negatively impact plant growth and development by inducing toxicity. Therefore, the remediation of contaminated soils and the adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural applications are of great importance. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the most widely consumed vegetables worldwide and is sensitive to environmental stress factors, including heavy metal contamination. This study investigated the effects of biochar on shoot dry matter production, macro- and micronutrient uptake, and antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) in lettuce under zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) treatments. In the study, soil was treated with two biochar (BC) application rates (0% (BC0) and 1% (BC1) w/w), and Zn and Cd were applied at concentrations of 0, 5, and 10 mg kg−1 soil (Zn0, Zn5, Zn10; Cd0, Cd5, Cd10). The Zn0 and Cd0 treatments served as common controls. It was found that biochar generally increased shoot dry matter production in lettuce under Zn and Cd treatments. Biochar application under Zn and Cd treatments generally increased the concentrations of macro- and micronutrients in lettuce. CAT activity generally increased in lettuce grown in biochar-amended soils under Zn and Cd treatments. Biochar generally increased APX activity in lettuce under Zn and Cd treatments. The results indicate that biochar can enhance nutrient uptake and antioxidant enzyme activities in lettuce under heavy metal stress.