Plant Growth and Microbial Community Change in Iron Mine Tailings during Vegetation Restoration

Abstract

Plant growth and microbial change in iron mine tailings were detected under controlled conditions in laboratory. Three crops, soybean, corn and grain sorghum, were used in the experiment for testing the adaptation of three crops on iron mine tailings. Cow manure vermicompost (25%, V:V) was added into iron mine tailings for improve the poor fertility of mine tailings. The results showed that corn and grain sorghum germinated faster than soybean in iron mine tailings. It took 3 days for corn and grain sorghum germination and 7 days for soybean to 80% germination. There were different in shoot weight of seedlings of three crops. For the CK(iron mine tailings without vermicompost) and V(iron mine tailing with vermicompost), the shoot weight of soybean seedling, both fresh weight and dry weight, was the most one, and that of grain sorghum was the least one. So did the root weight. The microbial populations of three cultural microbes, bacteria, fungi and actinomyces, in rhizosphere of three crops were significant difference. The population of bacteria and actinomyces in corn rhizosphere were the most in three crops and those of soybean were the least one. The fungi population in soybean rhizosphere was the least one which was benefit for plant resistance to pathogen. It was conclude that soybean and corn were the better plants for the revegetation and agricultural utilization of iron mine tailing. The plant growth improved microbial environment in iron mine tailings.