Stress Response of Miscanthus Plants and Soil Microbial Communities: A Case Study in Metals and Hydrocarbons Contaminated Soils
Open Access
- 20 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Applied Sciences
- Vol. 11 (4), 1866
- https://doi.org/10.3390/app11041866
Abstract
Second-generation biofuel crop miscanthus is one of the most promising plants tested for phytomanagement of contaminated sites. In this preliminary pot case study, the most used hybrid Miscanthus x giganteus was cultivated in three different real contaminated soils: agricultural soil contaminated with Cd; post-military soil slightly contaminated with Zn, Pb and Cd; and soil contaminated by petroleum industry with metals and hydrocarbons. The stress response of plants and soil microbial communities was monitored to receive data that are important for successful phytomanagement application. With metals only, the plant grew well, and chlorophyll fluorescence measurement proved their good vitality. Changes in leaf anatomy (leaf thickness and sclerenchyma cells area) were additionally determined in post-military soil compared to agricultural. On the contrary, in petroleum-contaminated soil, the biomass yield was too reduced and also physiological parameters were significantly decreased. The response of microbial communities also differed. In agricultural soil, no microbial stress was determined. In post-military soil, it became reduced during the experiment, and in petroleum contamination, it increased year-on-year. It could be concluded that miscanthus is suitable for cultivation in metals contaminated soils with potential for microbial communities support, but in soil contaminated by the petroleum industry, its application did not seem meaningful.Funding Information
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (SPS MYP G4687)
- Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy (LM2015073)
This publication has 55 references indexed in Scilit:
- Potentials of Miscanthus×giganteus grown on highly contaminated TechnosolsJournal of Geochemical Exploration, 2013
- The potential of C4 grasses for cellulosic biofuel productionFrontiers in Plant Science, 2013
- Nutrient requirements of Miscanthus x giganteus: Conclusions from a review of published studiesBiomass and Bioenergy, 2012
- Use and misuse of PLFA measurements in soilsSoil Biology and Biochemistry, 2011
- Bioremediation approaches for organic pollutants: A critical perspectiveEnvironment International, 2011
- Bioaugmentation and biostimulation strategies to improve the effectiveness of bioremediation processesBiodegradation, 2010
- Effects of water stress on photochemical function and protein metabolism of photosystem II in wheat leavesPhysiologia Plantarum, 1995
- POLYPHASIC CHLOROPHYLL a FLUORESCENCE TRANSIENT IN PLANTS AND CYANOBACTERIA*Photochemistry and Photobiology, 1995
- A possible role for photosystem II in environmental perturbations of photosynthesisPhysiologia Plantarum, 1991
- Photon yield of O2 evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics at 77 K among vascular plants of diverse originsPlanta, 1987