Mulching with crop straws influences cadmium accumulation of Cyphomandra betacea seedlings

Abstract

Mulching with plant straws on cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil can reduce Cd accumulation in crop plants. In this pot experiment, Cd‐contaminated soil was mulched with the straw of rice, wheat, rape, or broad bean, and their effects on the growth and Cd accumulation of Cyphomandra betacea seedlings were studied. Mulching with the straw of rice or broad bean increased the root, stem, leaf, and shoot biomasses of C. betacea seedlings, and increased the chlorophyll contents in leaves of C. betacea seedlings, whereas mulching with the straw of wheat or rape decreased this growth and photosynthetic pigment parameters. The Cd contents in the roots, stems, leaves, and shoots of C. betacea seedlings decreased in response to mulching with rice straw by 32.79%, 19.40%, 14.04%, and 14.86%, respectively, and decreased following mulching with rape straw by 12.27%, 18.22%, 6.89%, and 9.13%, respectively, compared with those of the control. Mulching with the straw of wheat or broad bean increased the Cd contents in C. betacea seedlings. Therefore, rice straw promoted the growth of C. betacea and significantly reduced the Cd uptake by C. betacea, which was beneficial for safe production of C. betacea in Cd‐contaminated orchards. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: e13229, 2019