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Sulfur fertiliser enhancement of Erigeron breviscapus (Asteraceae) quality by improving plant physiological responses and reducing soil cadmium bioavailability

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Abstract

Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. is an important medicinal plant; however, its quality is severely diminished by cadmium (Cd) pollution. Sulfur fertilisation can improve the production and application of E. breviscapus. This study examined Cd stress alleviation in the soil–plant system and determined the plant growth response after the application of sulfur fertiliser. The soil Cd concentration used in the treatments was 100 g·kg−1, and the sulfur fertiliser application rates were 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 g·kg−1. Using pot experiments, we explored the impacts of high, medium, and low amounts of sulfur fertiliser on Cd accumulation and the quality and activity of E. breviscapus. The results showed that the application of sulfur fertiliser promoted Cd transformation to residual Cd under oxidation conditions, reducing Cd accumulation in E. breviscapus. Throughout the growth period, the application of sulfur fertiliser increased the soluble protein content and antioxidant enzyme activity, which alleviated Cd toxicity. The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, chlorophyll level, and leaf width increased significantly. The biomass content of E. breviscapus also increased. Sulfur fertiliser improves the quality of herbaceous medicinal plants by reducing Cd accumulation and increasing scutellarin, chlorogenic, isochlorogenic acid B, and isochlorogenic acid C contents. A reasonable application of sulfur fertiliser is essential for improving E. breviscapus quality. This study provides a new method to reduce the ecological risk of planting herbaceous medicinal plants in Cd-contaminated soil.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42007122), Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (No. 202001AU070129), Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (No. 2017ZF002), Yunnan Provincial Department of Education (No. 2019J0165), and the Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (No. 2017HB027).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650000, People’s Republic of China

    Yingpin Liu, Yu Chen, Ping Zhao & Shuran He

  2. School of Municipal and Environment Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266000, People’s Republic of China

    Yonglin Liu

  3. National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center On Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Chinese Medicinal Materials in Southwest China, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650000, People’s Republic of China

    Shengchao Yang, Shuran He & Guangqiang Long

  4. The Key Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biology of Yunnan Province, Kunming, 650000, People’s Republic of China

    Shengchao Yang, Shuran He & Guangqiang Long

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  1. Yonglin Liu
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  2. Yingpin Liu
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  3. Yu Chen
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  4. Ping Zhao
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Contributions

Yonglin Liu: writing — original draft, formal analysis. Yingping Liu: investigation, data curation. Yu Chen: investigation. Ping Zhao: data curation. Shengchao Yang: supervision. Shuran He: conceptualisation, writing— review and editing, funding acquisition, methodology. Guangqiang Long: supervision, funding acquisition, validation.

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Correspondence to Shuran He or Guangqiang Long.

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Liu, Y., Liu, Y., Chen, Y. et al. Sulfur fertiliser enhancement of Erigeron breviscapus (Asteraceae) quality by improving plant physiological responses and reducing soil cadmium bioavailability. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 70508–70519 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20778-x

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