Interactive effect of compost application and inoculation with the fungus Claroideoglomus claroideum in Oenothera picensis plants growing in mine tailings

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 208; p. 111495
• Main Authors: Pérez, Rodrigo, Tapia, Yasna, Antilén, Monica, Casanova, Manuel, Vidal, Catalina, Santander, Christian, Aponte, Humberto, Cornejo, Pablo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 15-01-2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomass; Composting - methods; Copper; Copper - analysis; Copper - metabolism; Fungi - metabolism; Fungi - physiology; Metal(Loid) contamination; Mine waste; Mining; Mycorrhizae - metabolism; Mycorrhizae - physiology; Oenothera - growth & development; Oenothera - metabolism; Oenothera - microbiology; Organic amendments; Phytostabilization; Soil - chemistry; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; Mine waste; Organic amendments; Copper; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Metal(Loid) contamination; Phytostabilization
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111495

Different techniques have been developed for the remediation of Cu contaminated soils, being the phytoremediation a sustainable and environmentally friendly strategy, but its use in mine tailings is scarce. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can decrease the Cu concentration in plants by favouring the stabilization of this metal through different mechanisms such as the production of glomalin, immobilization in the fungal wall of hyphae and spores, and the storage of Cu in vacuoles. Additionally, the use of organic amendments promotes the beneficial effects produced by AMF and improves plant growth. Based on the above, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of AMF inoculation and compost application at different doses on the growth of Oenothera picensis in a Cu mine tailing. One group of plants were inoculated with Claroideoglomus claroideum (CC) and other was non-inoculated (NM). Both CC and NM were grown for two month under greenhouse conditions in pots with the Cu mine tailing, which also had increasing compost doses (0%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10%). Results showed greater biomass production of O. picensis by CC up to 2-fold compared with NM. This effect was improved by the compost addition, especially at doses of 5% and 10%. Therefore, the increase of mycorrhizal and nutritional parameters in O. picensis, and the decreasing of Cu availability in the mine tailing, promoted the production of photosynthetic pigments together with the plant growth, which is of importance to accomplish phytoremediation programs in Cu mine tailings.
•We used C. claroideum and compost to establish O. picensis directly in Cu mine tailings.•Compost rates of 5–10% greatly increased the intra- and extraradical fungal growth.•C. claroideum strongly reduced the Cu availability in mine tailing in compost treatments.•Joint use of AMF and compost reduced the plant toxicity and increased photosynthetic pigments.•Our study supports the joint use of AMF and compost for remediation of mine tailings.