Accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) by ornamental plants (OPs) from contaminated agriculture soils is a unique technique that can efficiently reduce the metal load in the food chain. Amaranthus tricolor L. has attractive characteristics acquiring a higher growth rate and large biomass when grown at heavy metal contaminated soils. Site-specific detailed information is not available on the use of A. tricolor plant in metal phytoremediation from the polluted sites. The study aimed to enhance the uptake of HMs (Pb, Zn, and Cu) via amending poultry litter extract (PLE), vinasse sugarcane (VSC), and humic acid (HA) as natural mobilized organic materials compared to ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), as a common mobilized chemical agent by A. tricolor plant. The studied soils collected from Helwan, El-Gabal El-Asfar (Cairo Governorate), Arab El-Madabeg (Assiut Governorate), Egypt, and study have been conducted under pot condition. Our results revealed all organic materials in all studied soils, except EDTA in EL-Gabal El-Asfar soil, significantly increased the dry weight of the A. tricolor plant compared to the control treatment. The uptake of Pb and Zn significantly (p > 0.05) increased due to applying all organic materials to the studied soils. HA application caused the highest uptake as shown in Pb concentration by more than 5 times in Helwan soil and EDTA by 65% in El-Gabal El-Asfar soil while VSC increased it by 110% in El-Madabeg soil. Also, an increase in Zn concentration due to EDTA application was 58, 42, and 56% for Helwan, El-Gabal El-Asfar, and El-Madabeg soil, respectively. In all studied soils, the application of organic materials increased the remediation factor (RF) than the control. El-Madabeg soil treated with vinasse sugarcane gave the highest RF values; 6.40, 3.26, and 4.02% for Pb, Zn, and Cu, respectively, than the control. Thus, we identified A. tricolor as a successful ornamental candidate that, along with organic mobilization amendments, most efficiently develop soil health, reduce metal toxicity, and recommend remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. Additionally, long-term application of organic mobilization amendments and continued growth of A. tricolor under field conditions could be recommended for future directions to confirm the results.

Agriculture Department The University of Swabi Khyber Paktunkhwa 94640 Pakistan

College of Agriculture Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou 350002 China

Crop Science Group Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation University Bonn 53115 Bonn Germany

Department of Agricultural Biology Faculty of Agriculture University of Ruhuna Peradeniya 20400 Sri Lanka

Department of Agronomy Faculty of Agriculture Kafrelsheikh University Kafr El Shaikh 33516 Egypt

Department of Agronomy Hajee Mohammad Danesh Sience and Technology University Dinajpur 5200 Bangladesh

Department of Agronomy MNS University of Agriculture Multan 60000 Pakistan

Department of Biology College of Science Taif University P O Box 11099 Taif 21944 Saudi Arabia

Department of Biotechnology College of Science Taif University P O Box 11099 Taif 21944 Saudi Arabia

Department of Botany and Plant Physiology Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kamycka 129 16500 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Plant Physiology Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra Tr A Hlinku 2 94901 Nitra Slovakia

Department of Soil Science Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan 06110 Pakistan

Department of Soils and Water Faculty of Agriculture Al Azhar University Assiut 71524 Egypt

Department of Soils and Water Faculty of Agriculture Assiut University Assiut 71524 Egypt

Department of Soils and Water Faculty of Agriculture Aswan University Aswan 81711 Egypt

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