Phytoaccumulation of chromium by some multipurpose-tree seedlings

Abstract

A pot culture experiment was conducted in green house to study the potential of chromium (Cr) phytoaccumulatory capabilities of four promising agroforestry tree species viz., Albizia amara, Casuarina equisetifolia, Tectona grandis, and Leucaena luecocephala. Possibility of enhancement of Cr uptake by chemical (citric acid) and biological vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM) amendments were also tried. Biologically stable speciation of Cr trivalent (Cr(III) and hexavalent Cr(VI) were used. Cr(VI) was more toxic to the tree growth in terms of collar diameter (CD) increment in all the tree species than Cr(III). In general, roots accumulated more Cr than shoots in all the tree species. There was more than 10 fold increase in root Cr content in comparison with shoot Cr content in all the trees at all the concentration of Cr and all sources of Cr. Citric acid significantly increased the Cr content in the tissues of roots in all the species under both speciation of Cr. The highest increase in Cr content brought by 20 mM citric acid addition was in A. amara. Unlike citric acid, VAM treatment did not bring about a significant increase in the Cr content of all the tree species studied. Results suggest that Albizia amara is a potential Cr accumulator with citric acid as soil amendment. The potential of this tree as a Cr phytoaccumulator may be investigated in long-term studies.