Effects of Simulated Acid Rain on Growth and Development of a Monocot (zea mays l.) and a Dicot (phaseolus vulgaris l.) Cultivated in Sabon Layi, Kaltungo Local Government Area, Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Acid rain is a major environmental concern that refers to precipitation such as rain, snow, or fog, with a pH level lower than the normal range, resulting from the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants. The aim of this research is to investigate and compare the effects of simulated acid rain on the growth and development of selected monocot (maize) and dicot (beans) species, with the specific objectives of evaluating the effect of simulated acid rain on growth parameters of maize and beans and compare the tolerance of monocot and dicot plants to acid rain stress. Simulated acid rain was prepared by diluting sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and nitric acid (HNO₃) in distilled water to achieve the desired pH levels. forty (40) experimental pots were filled with loam soil mixed with farm yard manure. Two viable seeds of maize and beans were sown into each experimental pots at a depth of 3cm, after three weeks, seedlings were thinned to reduce the plant to one per pot. Simulated acid rain was sprayed to the plants twice weekly for eight weeks according to their pH values of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 7.0 control. The plants grew for eight weeks before the experiment was terminated. The research findings revealed the effects of monocot and dicot roots, shoots and leaves biomass and length of dicot plants responded more adversely to acid rain compared to monocot and the response decreased with decreasing pH. All parameters in monocots show significant differences across pH treatments (p < 0.05), only Root length in dicots shows no significant difference across pH treatments (p = 0.2332). In conclusion, simulated acid rain significantly reduced growth parameters in both species, with Phaseolus vulgaris showing greater sensitivity than Zea mays.