Abstract
Purpose
Though phytoremediation is an important technology for remedying heavy metal-contaminated soils, hyperaccumulation mechanism, especially in root, is still less known.
Materials and methods
Pot culture experiment was used to explore the tolerance mechanism of a cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. by determining the main root traits compared to the non-hyperaccumulator Solanum melongena L. (cultivar name Liaoqie 3) in the same plant family.
Results and discussion
The total root lengths, total root surface areas, and total root volumes of S. nigrum were not significantly decreased (p < 0.05) compared to their controls when Cd spikes were lower than 20 mg kg–1. However, the abovementioned three factors of S. melongena were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) when 20 mg kg–1 of Cd was spiked. By contrast, S. nigrum showed stronger tolerance to Cd. In addition, S. nigrum showed all Cd hyperaccumulator characteristics, i.e., a Cd hyperaccumulator. S. melongena was a non-Cd hyperaccumulator.
Conclusions
These results indicated that root trait can be a factor of hyperaccumulation because of strong tolerance to Cd.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31270540, 31070455, 40971184 and 40930739), the National Science & Technology Pillar Program (2012BAC17B04), Hi-tech research and development program of China (2012AA06A202), and Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, China (201102224).
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Wei, S., Wang, S., Li, Y. et al. Root system responses of hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. to Cd. J Soils Sediments 13, 1069–1074 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0687-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0687-1