Tejpal Yadav
Botany
March 2025
Vehicular pollution is a heavy environmental stress that impacts the plant health, specifically in areas in close proximity to highways having excessive traffic volume. The current investigation examines the vehicular emissions on the physiological as well as the biochemical reaction of crop plants located near highways within Rewari in South Haryana. The study evaluates significant parameters like chlorophyll content, photosynthetic performance, stomatal conductance, and biochemical markers like antioxidant enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation, and heavy metal accumulation in plant tissues. Field surveys and lab tests were undertaken to analyze crops raised at different distances from the highway for evaluating pollution-stress gradients. The findings show that the decline in photosynthetic pigments and stomatal control is very prominent in the plants under increased pollution levels, resulting in compromised growth and productivity. Further, the signs of oxidative stress, like elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity, reflect an adaptive mechanism to counteract the damage provoked by pollution. The research brings out the negative consequences of motor vehicle emissions on farm yields and underlines the necessity of pollution reduction measures, like green belts and resistant crop species, to maintain crop health on roadside farms. The research enhances our knowledge regarding the influence of air pollution on plant physiology and biochemistry, providing valuable information for policymakers and agricultural researchers who are engaged in developing sustainable agriculture in polluted areas.
440- 453
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