Selection of Sugar Cane Varieties with a Low Heavy Metal Accumulation Ability for the Ecological Remediation of Contaminated Farmland

Abstract

How to best use farmland contaminated with low to moderate levels of heavy metals remains a challenge in many parts of the world. Here, we screened sugar cane varieties to identify those with a low ability to accumulate heavy metals and with high tolerance. These trials were conducted in arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) contaminated farmland in IIuanjiang County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. We tested seven varieties and found that cultivar Guiyin9 had the highest cane stem yield (187.5 t ha-1) and sugar content (27 t ha-1). The concentrations of As, Pb and Cd in the cane juice of Guiyin9 were all below the maximum limit for contaminants in food. Because Guiyin9 showed low accumulation of the heavy metals tested here and produced a high cane stem yield, this cultivar could be planted as a valuable crop in large areas of southern China contaminated with low to moderate levels of heavy metals.