Effects of mutual intercropping on the cadmium accumulation in accumulator plants Stellaria media, Malachium aquaticum, and Galium aparine.

Environ Monit Assess. 2017 Nov 9;189(12):622. doi: 10.1007/s10661-017-6322-7. Lu Q1, Li J2, Chen F3, Liao M1, Lin L4, Tang Y5, Liang D5, Xia H5, Lai Y5, Wang X5, Chen C6, Ren W7. Author information 1 College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 2 Sichuan Ya'an Municipal Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute (National Tea Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, Sichuan), Ya'an, Sichuan, China. 3 Life Science and Technology Institute, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, China. 4 Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. llj800924@qq.com. 5 Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 6 College of Economics, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. 7 Maize Research Institute, Neijiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Neijiang, Sichuan, China. Abstract Intercropping affects heavy-metal uptake in plants. In this study, three cadmium (Cd)-accumulator species (Stellaria media, Malachium aquaticum, and Galium aparine) were intercropped together in Cd-contaminated soil to study the effects of intercropping on co-remediation. Mutual intercropping significantly increased the biomasses of S. media, M. aquaticum, and G. aparine compared with their respective monocultures. The photosynthetic pigment contents of three species were not significantly affected by mutual intercropping. Mutual intercropping did not increase the Cd contents in roots and shoots of G. aparine, but it increased the Cd contents in roots of S. media and M. aquaticum. It also decreased the Cd contents in shoots of S. media and M. aquaticum. Only G. aparine intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping increased Cd-accumulation levels in whole plants of each species. Only S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping increased the Cd accumulation at the whole plant level in every plant in a single pot, with S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum showing the greatest increase. Therefore, S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping may improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil, with S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum representing the best combination. KEYWORDS: Accumulator plant; Cadmium; Intercropping; Phytoremediation PMID: 29124423 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6322-7