Integrated Fertilization Regimes Boost Heavy Metals Accumulation and Biomass of Sedum alfredii Hance

The hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance(S.alfredii)may be employed for zinc(Zn)and cadmium(Cd)-polluted soil remediation.However,the low phytoremediation efficiency,related to the low biomass production,limits its use with that purpose.In this experiment,nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P),and potassium(K)fertilizers,and organic manure were applied to investigate the phytoremediation ability of S.alfredii.Hydroponic and pot experiments were conducted using Zn-Cd polluted soil.The hydroponic experiment indicated that appropriate fertilizer application could increase(p<0.05)the amount of accumulated Zn and Cd in S.alfredii.When N supply ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 mmol L^(−1),it could improve growth and accumulation of Zn and Cd in whole plants of S.alfredii.The 1 mmol L^(−1) N was an optimal N dosage for shoot biomass production and Cd accumulation in shoots,while the 2.5 mmol L^(−1) was an optimal N dosage for Zn accumulation in shoots.Both low(<0.05 mmol L^(−1))and high(>0.8 mmol L^(−1))P supply decreased growth,and Zn/Cd accumulation in whole plants of the studied species.The 0.1 mmol L^(−1) P was an optimal dosage for S.alfredii biomass production and Zn/Cd accumulation in shoots.The supply levels within the range from 0.3 to 1 mmol L^(−1) K could significantly improve the biomass production of S.alfredii and its capability to accumulate Zn and Cd in the biomass.The 0.5 mmol L^(−1) K was an optimal dosage for the whole biomass production and Zn accumulation in shoots,while the 1 mmol L^(−1) was an optimal K dosage for Zn accumulation in shoots,which was 17.2%higher than the control.Moreover,the soil pot experiment showed that the combination of organic(fermented manure)and inorganic fertilizers made significant effects on the Zn and Cd-polluted soil remediation by S.alfredii.These effects varied,however,with the application of different proportions of N,P,K and organic matter.The Zn accumulation by S.alfredii reached the highest efficiency ability under the highest fertilizer mixing rate(N:50 mg kg^(−1),P:40 mg kg^(−1),K:100 mg kg^(−1),organic matter:1%).Even more,S.alfredii showed the strongest ability to accumulate Cd with a lower fertilizer mixing rate(N:25mg kg^(−1),P:20mg kg^(−1),K:50 mg kg^(−1),organic matter:0.5%).

Land Consolidation with Seedling Cultivation Could Decrease Soil Microbial PLFA Diversity

The impact of land consolidation on the soil microbial PLFA diversity is of great importance for understanding the effective arable land usage,improving agricultural ecological conditions and environment.In this study,we collected the soil samples(0–20 cm)in experimental plots with 0(Z0),1(Z1a)and 4(Z4a)years of land consolidation in the forest station of Ningbo City,Zhejiang Province,southeastern China.The results were analyzed using ANOVA for randomized block design.Compared with control(Z0),the soil pH value under Z1a treatment increased by 14.6%,soil organic carbon(SOC)content decreased by 65.4%,so did the PLFA contents and relative abundance of all the microbial PLFA diversity(P<0.05),respectively.Meanwhile,for the Z1a treatment,the ratio of fungi to bacteria(F/B)significantly decreased by 35.9%(P<0.05),while the ratio of Gram-positive bacteria to Gram-negative bacteria(G+/G−)signific antly increased by 56.1%.This was strongly related to the increased soil pH values and the decrease of SOC.The Shannon index(H)and evenness index(E)of soil microbial PLFA diversity were significantly decreased after land consolidation(P<0.05).Compared to the Z1 treatment,the microbial PLFA diversity was improved slightly.Therefore,the land consolidation could significantly affect the composition of soil microbial PLFA diversity,and decrease the soil ecosystem stability.

The Effect of Bamboo Charcoal Application on Soil Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Rice

Soil heavy metal pollution is becoming more and more serious.Biomass charcoal application can play an important role in alleviating the toxicity of heavy metals in soils.Compared with other biochar,bamboo charcoal has more unique properties and may have a unique effect on heavy metal pollution.Zhejiang Province of Southeastern China is rich in bamboo resources.However,few studies related to bamboo charcoal application for heavy metal remediation in farmland were reported.In this study,four treatments with different amounts of bamboo charcoal application were set up through a field experiment,namely BC0(no bamboo charcoal application),BC1(2500 kg⋅ha^(−1)),BC2(5000 kg⋅ha^(−1)),and BC3(10000 kg⋅ha^(−1)),and each treatment was replicated three times.The results showed that(1)The application of bamboo charcoal significantly increased the soil pH and organic matter content.Compared with BC0,the pH and organic content of BC3 increased by 7.4%and 17.4%(P<0.05)respectively.(2)The HCl-extractable Cd content of paddy soil in the BC1 treatment was significantly lower than other treatments(P<0.05),and decreased by 15.3%,compared with BC0.The soil HCl-extractable Zn and Cu content did not differ significantly between treatments(P>0.05).(3)With the increase of bamboo charcoal application,the Cd content in rice gradually decreased,the BC3 treatment significantly decreased by 39.0%(P<0.05),and the Zn and Cu contents in rice did not differ significantly between treatments(P>0.05),compared with BC0.(4)Soil pH,organic matter and Cd in rice seeds were significantly negatively correlated(P<0.01).The heavy metal content in rice does not change with the change of heavy metal content with HCl-extractable state in soil.It means bamboo charcoal does not reduce heavy metal content in rice by simply declining the heavy metal content with HCl-extractable state.The mechanism of action is relatively complicated,and further study is needed.

N-Exponential Fertilization Could Affect the Growth and Nitrogen Accumulation of Metasequoia glyptostroboides Seedling in a Greenhouse Environment

Metasequoia glyptostroboides(M.glyptostroboides)is a unique plant species related to relic flora in China.It plays a positive role in afforestation and its long-term protection with high paleoclimate research value.However,due to the nutrients-supply deficiency,it is a big challenge to cultivate the high-quality seedlings of M.glyptostroboides.In this study,a pot experiment in a greenhouse environment was carried out to identify the effect of N-exponential fertilization on the growth and nutrient distribution of M.glyptostroboides seedling.The M.glyptostroboides rooted seedlings with 12-month growth were chosen.Different N fertilizer levels with conventional fertilization(CF:5.0 g seedling^(−1)),exponential fertilization including EF1,EF2,EF3 and EF4 were determined.The relevant growth indexes were measured after 210-day growth.The results indicated that non-significant differences in seedlings’height and ground diameter were found among the above treatments(P>0.05);At the same time,N-exponential fertilization promoted the M.glyptostroboides’s biomass in different organs(P<0.05),with the maximum total biomass under EF3 treatment.The N accumulation in root and stem of the N-exponential fertilization treatments were increased in to some extent(P<0.05).The maximum N accumulation was also found under EF3 treatment.Therefore,steady-state nutrition and superior growth performance of M.glyptostroboides could be obtained by N-exponential fertilization of 5.0 g cutting^(−1).