Effects of cutting frequency of tall fescue on cadmium form in soil and cadmium enrichment in the plant

Abstract

Cutting is a common practice for turfgrass culture and maintenance, and it may affect cadmium (Cd) uptake and enrichment due to the removal and regrowth of aboveground parts. The objective of this study was to determine how cutting frequency affects Cd form in the soil and its enrichment and distribution in clippings, stubble and roots. In this study, 'K-31' tall fescue (Festuca elata L.) plants were grown in soils containing different amounts of Cd (0, 5, 25 and 50 mg kg −1) and cut at three different frequencies (no cutting, one cutting, two cuttings and five cuttings in two weeks). The cutting treatment caused a significant decrease in the soil pH, and it promoted Cd absorption by roots and Cd transfer to stubble. Increasing the cutting frequency increased acid-soluble and reducible Cd content in soil, and the Cd content in the stubble and roots increased significantly and peaked at five cuttings. Cutting treatment exacerbated changes in plant ultrastructure under Cd stress as the chloroplasts of clippings swelled and the number of plastoglobuli in chloroplasts increased. Our study demonstrated that cutting frequency affects the conversion of Cd forms in the soil, promotes Cd absorption in roots, promotes Cd transport to stubble and exacerbates Cd stress on plants.

Do Volatiles Affect Bacteria and Plants in the Same Way? Growth and Biochemical Response of Non-Stressed and Cd-Stressed Arabidopsis thaliana and Rhizobium E20-8

“…Among these, Cd is a very toxic element at low concentrations [ 25 , 26 ] and is classified in seventh place in the 2019 Priority List of Hazardous Substances [ 27 ]. Its wide pollution and high mobility in the soil–plant system allows Cd to easily enter the human food chain, posing an increasing threat to the environment and to public health [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. In the soil solution, concentrations of Cd vary between 0.3 and 8.9 nM [ 32 ], but in extremely contaminated sites can exceed 2.7 μM [ 33 ].…”