Improvement of growth performance of Amorpha fruticosa under contrasting regime of water and fertilizer in coal-contaminated spoils using response surface methodology

This study aimed at examining the potential effects of different combinations of soil-water and fertilizers (nitrogen, N and phosphorus, P) on morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes of Amorpha fruticosa grown in coal-mined spoils. Three factors five-level central-composite-design with optimization technique response surface methodology (rsm) was used to optimize water irrigation and fertilizer application strategies. Our results demonstrate that rsm effectively designed appropriate doses of water and N-P fertilizer to restore coal spoiled soils. Furthermore, A. fruticosa responded to low-water and fertilizer-shortage by upregulating defensive mechanism to avoid damage induced by such deficiencies. Finally, our findings provide effective strategies for revegetation of coal contaminated spoils with A. fruticosa using appropriate doses of water and N-P fertilizers.