Heavy Metal Uptake by Novel Miscanthus Seed-Based Hybrids Cultivated in Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil

Abstract

A b s t r a c tWhen heavy metal contaminated soils are excluded from food production, biomass crops offer an alternative commercial opportunity. Perennial crops have potential for phytoremediation. Whilst the conditions at heavy metal contaminated sites are challenging, successful phytoremediation would bring significant economic and social benefits. Seed-based Miscanthus hybrids were tested alongside the commercial clone Miscanthus × giganteus on arable land, contaminated with Pb, Cd and Zn near Katowice. Before the randomized experimental plots were established (25m 2 plots with plant density 2/m 2 ) 'time-zero' soil samples were taken to determine initial levels of total (aqua regia) and bioavailable (CaCl2 extraction) concentration of Pb, Cd and Zn. After the growing season plant material was sampled during autumn (October, green harvest) and winter (March, brown harvest) to determine differences in heavy metal uptake. Results after the first growing season are presented, including the plot establishment success, biomass yield and heavy metal uptake.

Breeding progress and preparedness for mass‐scale deployment of perennial lignocellulosic biomass crops switchgrass, miscanthus, willow and poplar

“…Based on collections from thousands of wild prairie remnants, the genetic resources are roughly divided into lowland and upland ecotypes and there are distinct clades within each ecotype which occur along both latitudinal and longitudinal gradients Lu et al, 2013; . Ongoing trials on heavy metal contaminated soils indicate tolerance by exclusion (Krzyżak et al, 2017) Different hybrids are needed for different zones Best hybrids show some G × E (US), and some hybrids low G × E (Fabio et al, 2017)…”

Effect of Novosphingobium sp. CuT1 inoculation on the rhizoremediation of heavy metal- and diesel-contaminated soil planted with tall fescue

“…In this study, to analyze the bioavailable heavy metal concentration, 0.01 M of CaCl 2 solution was used as an extraction solvent. Nevertheless, the bioavailable Pb concentration was not accurately analyzed by using this solvent (Krzyżak et al 2017;Nenova et al 2018). Therefore, the effect of CuT1 inoculation on the behavior of bioavailable metal concentration was evaluated only for Cu in the present study (Table S1).…”

The Effect of Different Agrotechnical Treatments on the Establishment of Miscanthus Hybrids in Soil Contaminated with Trace Metals

“…Improper establishment alongside susceptible varieties can lead to severe economic losses when the plantation regrows in subsequent years. This risk is particularly high for several Miscanthus hybrids [ 15 ]. Xue et al [ 16 ] investigated the strengths and weaknesses of different propagation methods for Miscanthus , such as rhizome planting, stem-derived plants, direct seed sowing, and micropropagation.…”

“…Water availability and temperature are the most common factors affecting plant establishment, regardless of species, varieties, and annual or perennial type [ 1 , 15 , 18 , 19 ]. Apart from these most common abiotic stress factors, there may be other stress factors in growing energy crops on marginal soils, such as pollutants, i.e., Trace Metal Elements (TMEs), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) [ 9 , 10 , 20 ], or nutrient deficiencies [ 12 , 13 ], which may cause a cross-reaction in the plants.…”