ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Varied Responses of Growth and Mineral
Elements Concentrations in Pennisetum ericanum
and Festuca arundinacea under
Cd/Cu Addition
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1
Department of Grassland Science, College of Animal Science and Technology,
China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
2
Beijing Sure Academy of Biosciences, Beijing, China
Submission date: 2017-10-17
Final revision date: 2017-12-15
Acceptance date: 2017-12-23
Online publication date: 2018-10-31
Publication date: 2019-01-28
Corresponding author
Fuyu Yang
China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(3):1385-1396
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ABSTRACT
An experiment was carried out to compare cadmium and copper absorption and mineral
nutrition accumulation in pennisetum and tall fescue in order to select an appropriate grass to remediate
Cd/Cu-contaminated soil and explore their detoxification mechanisms of contamination by mineral
elements. The biomass remained constant in tall fescue under each Cd addition level and increased
in pennisetum until Cu reached 500 μM, whereas they dramatically decreased as the Cu or Cd solution
increased, which was concurrent with quadratic regression model analysis. The Cd/Cu concentrations
in tall fescue were mostly accumulated in the roots and were much higher than those in pennisetum.
The extracted amount of Cd in the shoots and the total Cu concentrations of pennisetum were higher
than the corresponding values in tall fescue at every Cd/Cu addition level. Negative correlations were
observed between Cd and shoot Ca, Cu, K, Mg, and Zn, and root Cu and Na of tall fescue and the root
K of pennisetum. The Cu concentration was negatively correlated with K and positively correlated
with Na in tall fescue and pennisetum under the Cu treatments. As the Cd/Cu concentration
in solution increased, K/Na values were significantly decreased in the roots of tall fescue under Cu
stress and pennisetum under Cd/Cu stress, whereas they increased in the roots of tall fescue under Cd
addition. In summary, pennisetum exhibited the greater biomass and Cd/Cu extraction; indicating it as
a candidate energy grass for phytoextraction. The adjustment capacity of grass for K and Na might relate
to the tolerance to Cd/Cu.