Nickel Effects on Growth and Phytolith Yield of Grasses in Contaminated Soils

Nickel Effects on Growth and Phytolith Yield of Grasses in Contaminated Soils

Nickel (Ni) is extremely toxic to plants at high concentrations. Phytoliths have the potential to sequester the heavy metals absorbed by plants and act as a detoxification mechanism for the plant. The authors of the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ni on the growth and phytolith yield...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Soil systems Vol. 8; no. 1; p. 17
Main Authors: Silva, Enilson de Barros, Farnezi, Múcio Mágno de Melo, Santos, Lauana Lopes dos, Silva, Alexandre Chistofaro, Grazziotti, Paulo Henrique, Alleoni, Luís Reynaldo Ferracciú, Horák-Terra, Ingrid, Nascimento, Sandra Antunes do, Uane, Bento Gil
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-01-2024
Subjects:
Analysis
Availability
Contamination
Detoxification
entisol
Environmental law
Environmental legislation
Environmental protection
Grasses
Growth
heavy metal
Heavy metals
Legislation
Megathyrsus maximus
Microwaves
Nickel
Occlusion
oxisol
Phosphorus
Physiological aspects
phytolith
Phytoremediation
Plant growth
Polyvinyl chloride
Scientific imaging
Soil contamination
Soil pollution
Soil types
Soils
Taxonomy
Toxicity
Urochloa
Urochloa decumbens
Variance analysis
Brazil
United States > US
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Summary:Nickel (Ni) is extremely toxic to plants at high concentrations. Phytoliths have the potential to sequester the heavy metals absorbed by plants and act as a detoxification mechanism for the plant. The authors of the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ni on the growth and phytolith yield of grasses in two artificially contaminated soils. Two experiments separated by soil types (Typic Quartzipsamment and Rhodic Hapludox) were conducted in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme with three replications. The factors were two species of grass (Urochloa decumbens and Megathyrsus maximus) and three concentrations of Ni (20, 40, and 120 mg kg−1) and control treatment. The grasses were influenced by the increase in Ni rates in the soils. Ni exerted a micronutrient function with the addition of 30 mg kg−1 of Ni in soils, but this concentration caused toxicity in grasses. Such a level is lower than the limits imposed by the Brazilian environmental legislation. Higher Ni availability in Typic Quartzipsamment promoted Ni toxicity, with reduced growth and increased phytolith yield in the shoot, increased Ni in the shoot, and Ni occlusion in phytoliths by grasses, in comparison with Rhodic Hapludox. The yield and Ni capture in phytoliths by grasses in Ni-contaminated soils are related to the genetic and physiological differences between grasses and Ni availability in soils. Ni capture by phytoliths indicates that it may be one of the detoxification mechanisms of Urochloa decumbens to Ni contamination, providing additional tolerance. Megathyrsus maximus may be a future grass for the phytoremediation technique in Ni-contaminated soils.
ISSN:2571-8789
2571-8789
DOI:10.3390/soilsystems8010017