Germination and Early Growth of Brassica juncea in Copper Mine Tailings Amended with Technosol and Compost

Mine tailings represent a serious threat to the environment and human health; thus their restoration has become a major concern. In this study, the interactions between Brassica juncea and different mine soil treatments were evaluated in order to understand their effect on germination and early grow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:TheScientificWorld 2014-01, Vol.2014 (2014), p.1-9
Main Authors: Novo, Luís A. B., González, Luís
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chlorophyll
Composts
Copper
Copper - toxicity
Copper industry
Cruciferae
Environmental aspects
Enzymes
Free radicals
Germination
Germination - drug effects
Growth
Growth (Plants)
Metals
Methods
Mine tailings
Mine wastes
Mining
Mustard Plant - drug effects
Mustard Plant - growth & development
Observations
Organic matter
Oxidative stress
Phytoremediation
Pore water
Seedlings
Seedlings - drug effects
Sludge
Soil - chemistry
Soil contamination
Soil sciences
Soil treatment
Tailings (Metallurgy)
Zinc - chemistry
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Summary:Mine tailings represent a serious threat to the environment and human health; thus their restoration has become a major concern. In this study, the interactions between Brassica juncea and different mine soil treatments were evaluated in order to understand their effect on germination and early growth. Three soil treatments containing 25% and 50% of technosol and 30% of compost were prepared. Germination and early growth were assessed in soil and pore water extracts from the treatments. Unlike the untreated mine soil, the three treatments allowed germination and growth, achieving levels comparable to those of seedlings from the same species developed in normal conditions. The seedlings grown in 50% of technosol and 30% of compost exhibited greater germination percentages, higher growth, and more efficient mechanisms against oxidative stress, ascribed to the organic matter and nutrients content of these treatments. Considering the unequivocal ability of B. juncea for phytoremediation, the results suggest that technosol and compost may be an auspicious solution to allow the germination and early growth of this species in mine tailings.
ISSN:2356-6140
1537-744X
1537-744X
DOI:10.1155/2014/506392