College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore-Pakistan.

Department of Chemistry, University of Education, Lahore-Pakistan.

Cadmium (Cd), from different sources such as wastewater, fertilizers and pesticides, alters the soil microbial community, physical and biochemical properties. It can also accumulate in plant tissues, reduce the plant growth and yield, and cause chlorosis in leaves. In the current study, the effect of the wheat straw biochar on the growth and yield of fenugreek was observed in Cadmium contaminated soil using Cadmium chloride (60 mg/kg). Two treatment levels with varying concentrations of biochar (2.5% and 5% w/w) were prepared along with the control group (no biochar) and replicated three times. Each experiment was conducted in a plastic pot with 30 fenugreek seeds sown in 5-kilogram soil (dry weight). NPK fertilizer (60-80-40 kg/ha) was applied after 30 days of sowing and the number of plants was reduced to 10 plants in each pot. The plants were harvested after 90 days of planting and different growth parameters were measured. It was observed that the addition of biochar significantly increased the germination rate and growth of the plants. Moreover, the accumulation of Cd in different parts of the plants was reduced with increase in biochar concentration.