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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi optimize the acquisition and translocation of Cd and P by cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plant cultivated on a Cd-contaminated soil

  • Soils, Sec 1 • Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Fruiting vegetables are generally considered to be safer than other vegetables for planting on cadmium (Cd)-contaminated farms. However, the risk of transferring Cd that has accumulated in the stems and leaves of fruiting vegetables is a major issue encountered with the usage of such non-edible parts. The objective of this study was to resolve the contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi to the production of low-Cd fruiting vegetables (focusing on the non-edible parts) on Cd-contaminated fields.

Materials and methods

An 8-week pot experiment was conducted to investigate the acquisition and translocation of Cd by cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants on an unsterilized Cd-contaminated (1.6 mg kg−1) soil in response to inoculation with the AM fungus, Funneliformis caledonium (Fc) or Glomus versiforme (Gv). Mycorrhizal colonization rates of cucumber roots were assessed. Dry biomass and Cd and phosphorus (P) concentrations in the cucumber shoots and roots were all measured. Soil pH, EC, total Cd, phytoavailable (DTPA-extractable) Cd, available P, and acid phosphatase activity were also tested.

Results and discussion

Both Fc and Gv significantly increased (P < 0.05) root mycorrhizal colonization rates and P acquisition efficiencies, and thus the total P acquisition and biomass of cucumber plants, whereas only Fc significantly increased (P < 0.05) soil acid phosphatase activity and the available P concentration. Both Fc and Gv significantly increased (P < 0.05) root to shoot P translocation factors, inducing significantly higher (P < 0.05) shoot P concentrations and shoot/root biomass ratios. In contrast, both Fc and Gv significantly decreased (P < 0.05) root and shoot Cd concentrations, resulting in significantly increased (P < 0.05) P/Cd concentration ratios, whereas only Gv significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the root Cd acquisition efficiency and increased (P < 0.05) the root to shoot Cd translocation factor. Additionally, AM fungi also tended to decrease soil total and phytoavailable Cd concentrations by elevating plant total Cd acquisition and soil pH, respectively.

Conclusions

Inoculation with AM fungi increased the P acquisition and biomass of cucumber plants, but decreased plant Cd concentrations by reducing the root Cd acquisition efficiency, and resulted in a tendency toward decreases in soil phytoavailable and total Cd concentrations via increases in soil pH and total Cd acquisition by cucumber plants, respectively. These results demonstrate the potential application of AM fungi for the production of fruiting vegetables with non-edible parts that contain low Cd levels on Cd-contaminated soils.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program (2012AA06A204) of China, the Open & Development Funding (ZF1224) of Shanghai Cooperative Centre for WEEE Recycling, the Talents Project (Y412010009) of State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, and the Visiting Scholar Program of Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University. We wish to acknowledge Prof. Zhihong Ye, Dr. Jintian Li, Dr. Bing Li, Dr. Zhiyun Dai, and Dr. Xun Wang from Sun Yat-sen University, for their assistance in field sampling, and Ms. Pak Ting Chan, Mr. King Wai Chan, and Dr. Ho Man Leung from Hong Kong Baptist University, for their assistance in greenhouse experiment and sample analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Junli Hu, Junhua Wang & Xiangui Lin

  2. Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Junli Hu, Wing Tsang, Fuyong Wu, Shengchun Wu & Ming Hung Wong

  3. Joint Open Laboratory of Soil and the Environment, Hong Kong Baptist University & Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Junli Hu, Wing Tsang, Fuyong Wu, Shengchun Wu, Junhua Wang, Xiangui Lin & Ming Hung Wong

  4. Shanghai Cooperative Centre for WEEE Recycling, Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, Shanghai, 201209, China

    Junli Hu

  5. Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China

    Fuyong Wu

  6. School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin’an, 311300, China

    Shengchun Wu

  7. Consortium on Health, Environment, Education and Research, Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Ming Hung Wong

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  1. Junli Hu
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Correspondence to Xiangui Lin or Ming Hung Wong.

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Hu, J., Tsang, W., Wu, F. et al. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi optimize the acquisition and translocation of Cd and P by cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plant cultivated on a Cd-contaminated soil. J Soils Sediments 16, 2195–2202 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1399-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1399-0

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