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VOL. 10, ISSUE 7 (2025)
Effects of vehicular pollution on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): physiological, morphological and yield responses across growth stages
Authors
Nisha, Manoj Kumar
Abstract
Vehicular air pollution can adversely affect crop performance. This
study evaluates the impact of roadside vehicular
emissions on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by comparing plants grown
adjacent to a busy highway (polluted site) with
those at a control site ~200 m away. Growth and physiological parameters were
measured at three developmental stages – crown root stage (early vegetative),
anthesis (flowering), and harvest (maturity) – to capture stage-wise effects.
Key traits included plant height, tiller number, flag leaf length, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, and yield
components (spike number, grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, and seed
protein). Results showed that at the seedling stage, pollution had no
significant effect on plant height or tiller count, but photosynthetic rate and
chlorophyll content were already markedly reduced in highway-adjacent. plants
(by 7–10% compared to controls). By anthesis, polluted plants were
significantly shorter (7% height reduction, p < 0.001) with smaller
flag leaves (p < 0.05), while tiller numbers remained similar.
Photosynthetic rates and foliar chlorophyll at flowering were 18–30% lower
under pollution stress (p < 0.001). By
maturity, chronic pollution exposure had significantly curtailed reproductive
performance: polluted plants produced ~14% fewer grains per spike and 20% lower
1000-grain weight than controls (p < 0.001), resulting in
substantially reduced yield. Grain protein content was also ~15% lower under
pollution (p < 0.001). These findings underscore that vehicular
emissions can suppress wheat’s physiological functions from early growth,
culminating in stunted development and appreciable yield losses. The study
highlights the need for mitigating air pollution to protect crop productivity
in roadside agro-ecosystems.
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Pages:15-20
How to cite this article:
Nisha, Manoj Kumar "Effects of vehicular pollution on wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.): physiological, morphological and yield responses across growth stages". International Journal of Botany Studies, Vol 10, Issue 7, 2025, Pages 15-20
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