Abstract
Planting bioenergy crops with high water-use efficiency (WUE) on heavy metal-polluted land is a good practice for biomass production and phytoremediation. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a C4 perennial bioenergy grass, is native to the United States. The relationship between the WUE and Cd accumulation of switchgrass has seldom been studied. Here, the WUE and Cd accumulation characteristics of 14 high-biomass switchgrass cultivars were investigated under Cd stress by hydroponic culture. The main results showed that Cd inhibited the instantaneous WUE in switchgrass seedlings and that the inhibition rate was more significant in the upland types than in the lowland types of switchgrass. A positive correlation was found between relative WUE and Cd accumulation in roots and shoots. The relative expression level of stomatal control-related genes (ERECTA and EPF1) in lowland cultivars with high WUE was higher than in upland cultivars with low WUE, both in control and Cd treatment conditions. The results suggest that it would be possible to further select and cultivate switchgrass with high WUE and a high capacity for Cd accumulation for phytoremediation in Cd-contaminated land.
Highlights
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a high-biomass biofuel crop native to the UnitedStates [1]
As a result of the various instantaneous water-use efficiency (iWUE) of different cultivars under control and Cd stress treatments, the relative water use efficiency (RWUE) of 14 cultivars of switchgrass was calculated according to the iWUE of different cultivars to further analyze the difference in response to Cd stress
The water-use efficiency (WUE) of 14 switchgrass cultivars was illustrated in the study
Summary
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a high-biomass biofuel crop native to the UnitedStates [1]. Field studies have demonstrated that switchgrass can produce 540% more renewable energy as a biomass crop than the energy it consumes and that it comes with environmental benefits [3,4]. Switchgrass has been used for phytoremediation in marginal land contaminated with heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) [5,6]. Cd may cause plant damage even at very low concentrations and its toxic effects may alter plant water physiology [11,12]. Plasma membrane permeability has been shown to be affected by Cd, leading to a decrease in the water content of plants [14]. Cd toxicity has been shown to decrease plants’ water-use efficiency (WUE). Research on WUE aims to discern the most effective use of water in order to achieve the highest possible agricultural yield or income with the lowest possible water consumption
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