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High Zn concentration does not impair biomass, cutting radial growth, and photosynthetic activity traits in Populus alba L.

  • Phytoremediation of Polluted Soils: Recent Progress and Developments
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Evaluate the efficiency of Populus alba clone Villafranca in the uptake and translocation of Zn from contaminated soils.

Materials and methods

The effects of 48 days of zinc treatment (Zn t ) on the growth and the photosynthetic activities of P. alba L. clone Villafranca were studied using ZnSO4 (375 ppm per unit of soil dry weight) added in sand and peat moss substrate at the beginning of the treatment (T 0) and again after 30 days (T 1) in order to reach a target Zn concentration of 375 ppm at T 0 and 750 ppm at T 1 per unit of soil dry weight.

Results and discussion

Zn uptake in the different organs was analyzed after 30 (T 1) and 48 days (T 2) from the beginning of treatment, showing the following order: root ≫ leaves ≥ woody cutting = stem. The leaf area increased by 12 % in comparison to control plants at the end of second treatment (48 days). Cutting radial growth showed a high synchronicity in the growth rate fluctuation among control and Zn t plants, but a higher increase in radial diameter of Zn t cutting was observed starting from day 38 (after 8 days of second Zn t ) reaching after 48 days 38 % higher than control plants.

Conclusions

Although our data of leaf Zn concentration were in the range usually reported as toxic for plants, Villafranca clone in Zn t substrate were unaffected in terms of net CO2 assimilation and stomatal conductance to water vapor.

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. BioLabs, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, 56127, Pisa, Italy

      Stefania Romeo, Alessandra Francini & Luca Sebastiani

    2. Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), Université d’Orléans, UPRES EA 1207 INRA USC 1328, BP 6759, 45067, Orléans, France

      Domenico Morabito

    Authors
    1. Stefania Romeo
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    2. Alessandra Francini
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    3. Luca Sebastiani
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    4. Domenico Morabito
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Luca Sebastiani.

    Additional information

    Responsible editor: Jaume Bech

    Stefania Romeo and Alessandra Francini contributed equally to this work.

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    Romeo, S., Francini, A., Sebastiani, L. et al. High Zn concentration does not impair biomass, cutting radial growth, and photosynthetic activity traits in Populus alba L.. J Soils Sediments 17, 1394–1402 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1251-y

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1251-y

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