TY - JOUR
T1 - Cultivation of C4 perennial energy grasses on heavy metal contaminated arable land
T2 - Impact on soil, biomass and photosynthetic traits
AU - Rusinowski, S.
AU - Krzyżak, J.
AU - Sitko, K.
AU - Kalaji, H. M.
AU - Jensen, E.
AU - Pogrzeba, M.
N1 - Funding Information:
The project was implemented under Maria Curie-Skłodowska Actions of the 7 Framework Programme of the EU (Grant agreement No. 610797 ). EJ's contribution was funded through the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, and Hefcw Sêr Cymru National Research Network for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment. The authors wish to extend their appreciation to dr Włodzimierz Majtkowski from Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute for providing of seeds of Panicum virgatum .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2019/7/31
Y1 - 2019/7/31
N2 - The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of three C4 perennial grasses (Miscanthus x giganteus, Panicum virgatum and Spartina pectinata) for biomass production on arable land unsuitable for food crop cultivation due to Pb, Cd and Zn contamination. We assessed soil properties, biomass yield, metal concentrations, and the photosynthetic performance of each species. Physico-chemical and elemental analyses were performed on soil samples before plantation establishment (2014) and after three years of cultivation (2016), when leaf area index, plant height, yield and heavy metal content of biomass were also determined. Physiological measurements (gas exchange, pigment content, chlorophyll a fluorescence) were recorded monthly between June and September on mature plants in 2016. Cultivation of investigated plants resulted in increased pH, nitrogen, and organic matter (OM) content in soil, although OM increase (13%) was significant only for S. pectinata plots. During the most productive months, maximal quantum yield values of primary photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and gas exchange parameter values reflected literature data of those plants grown on uncontaminated sites. Biomass yields of M. x giganteus (15.0 ± 0.4 t d.m. ha−1) and S. pectinata (12.6 ± 1.2 t d.m. ha−1) were also equivalent to data published from uncontaminated land. P. virgatum performed poorly (4.1 ± 0.4 t d.m. ha−1), probably due to unfavourable climatic conditions, although metal uptake in this species was the highest (3.6 times that of M. x giganteus for Pb). Yield and physiological measurements indicated that M. x giganteus and S. pectinata were unaffected by the levels of contamination and therefore offer alternatives for areas where food production is prohibited. The broad cultivatable latitudinal range of these species suggests these results are widely relevant for development of the bioeconomy. We recommend multi-location trials under diverse contaminant and environmental regimes to determine the full potential of these species.
AB - The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of three C4 perennial grasses (Miscanthus x giganteus, Panicum virgatum and Spartina pectinata) for biomass production on arable land unsuitable for food crop cultivation due to Pb, Cd and Zn contamination. We assessed soil properties, biomass yield, metal concentrations, and the photosynthetic performance of each species. Physico-chemical and elemental analyses were performed on soil samples before plantation establishment (2014) and after three years of cultivation (2016), when leaf area index, plant height, yield and heavy metal content of biomass were also determined. Physiological measurements (gas exchange, pigment content, chlorophyll a fluorescence) were recorded monthly between June and September on mature plants in 2016. Cultivation of investigated plants resulted in increased pH, nitrogen, and organic matter (OM) content in soil, although OM increase (13%) was significant only for S. pectinata plots. During the most productive months, maximal quantum yield values of primary photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and gas exchange parameter values reflected literature data of those plants grown on uncontaminated sites. Biomass yields of M. x giganteus (15.0 ± 0.4 t d.m. ha−1) and S. pectinata (12.6 ± 1.2 t d.m. ha−1) were also equivalent to data published from uncontaminated land. P. virgatum performed poorly (4.1 ± 0.4 t d.m. ha−1), probably due to unfavourable climatic conditions, although metal uptake in this species was the highest (3.6 times that of M. x giganteus for Pb). Yield and physiological measurements indicated that M. x giganteus and S. pectinata were unaffected by the levels of contamination and therefore offer alternatives for areas where food production is prohibited. The broad cultivatable latitudinal range of these species suggests these results are widely relevant for development of the bioeconomy. We recommend multi-location trials under diverse contaminant and environmental regimes to determine the full potential of these species.
KW - miscanthus
KW - switchgrass
KW - prairie cordgrass
KW - chlorophyll fluorescence
KW - gas exchange
KW - Chlorophyll fluorescence
KW - Prairie cordgrass
KW - Switchgrass
KW - Miscanthus
KW - Gas exchange
KW - Soil/chemistry
KW - Poaceae/chemistry
KW - Nitrogen/analysis
KW - Biomass
KW - Chlorophyll A
KW - Soil Pollutants/analysis
KW - Plant Leaves/chemistry
KW - Metals, Heavy/analysis
KW - Photosynthesis
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749119304713?via%3Dihub#appsec1
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064486941&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.048
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.048
M3 - Article
C2 - 31003142
SN - 0269-7491
VL - 250
SP - 300
EP - 311
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
IS - N/A
ER -