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Comparison of boron uptake, translocation, and accumulation in reed, cattail, and vetiver: an extremely boron-tolerant plant, vetiver

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Abstract

Aims

Reed (Phragmites australis L.) and cattail (Typha latifolia L.) have been used to extract boron (B) from wastewater streams by accumulating B in plant tissues. Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.) is a very useful species in phytoremediation; however, there is little information on its ability to accumulate and tolerate B. Differences in B tolerance and accumulation are known for many species, but the underlying mechanisms are still poorly investigated. The objectives of this study were to identify differences in B tolerance and accumulation among reed, cattail, and vetiver, and elucidate the underlying physiological mechanisms for improving their use in B phytoremediation.

Methods

An experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions to identify changes in plant biomass and B accumulation. The three plant species were grown in a nutrient solution and exposed to 10 different B concentrations, including 0.25 (control), 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg L−1 for 15 d.

Results

Reed, cattail, and vetiver survived at up to 250, 500, and 750 mg L−1, respectively. Compared with that of the control, reed, cattail, and vetiver biomass decreased significantly at a B concentration of 1, 50, and 500 mg L−1, respectively. Significant differences were identified among the species regarding B accumulation. Reed had a higher ability to uptake B than cattail and vetiver at B concentrations less than 250 mg L−1, whereas cattail had a higher ability to uptake B than vetiver at B concentrations higher than 250 mg L−1. Compared with that of reed and vetiver, cattail had a higher ability to transport B from the roots to the shoots.

Conclusions

Vetiver showed the highest tolerance to external B supply, followed by cattail and reed. Differences in B tolerance among the three species could be attributed to their ability to restrict B uptake rather than restricting B translocation from the roots to the shoots or tolerating high B accumulation. The present study suggested that vetiver could be a promising species in B phytoremediation, especially for high B-contaminated environments. Therefore, a detailed investigation is needed to determine the efficiency of vetiver-based techniques for the removal of B from wastewaters.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Electric Power Research Institute, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41101303), and the China Scholarship Council. We are grateful to Prof. Norman Terry and Dr. Amanda R. Stiles (Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA) for their guidance and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Environmental Pollution Control Technology, School of Safety and Environmental Engineering, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang, 421002, China

    Junliang Xin & Baifei Huang

  2. Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    Junliang Xin & Baifei Huang

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  1. Junliang Xin
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  2. Baifei Huang
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Correspondence to Junliang Xin.

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Xin, J., Huang, B. Comparison of boron uptake, translocation, and accumulation in reed, cattail, and vetiver: an extremely boron-tolerant plant, vetiver. Plant Soil 416, 17–25 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3186-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3186-0

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