ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYTOREMEDIATION POTENTIAL OF BIOENERGY CROP MAIZE (ZEA MAYS) IN SOIL CONTAMINATED BY CADMIUM: MORPHOLOGY, PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND ACCUMULATION.

The phytoremediation potential of the bioenergy crop maize. (Zea mays) was investigated in Cd-contaminated soil. Pot experiments with Cd concentration gradients of 0, 5, 10, 30, 50 and 100 mg/kg were performed, and the growth parameters, photosynthetic activity and Cd accumulation characteristics were evaluated during the entire growth period. The experimental results indicated that the maize germination was not sensitive to elevated Cd stress, and that the photosynthetic activity only declined due to Cd stress during the early growth stage. Cd concentrations greater than 30 mg/kg inhibited maize growth and reduced biomass production. The experiments demonstrated that maize has a great potential for phytoremediation in Cdcontaminated soil, where 1025.03±117.67 jig Cd per plant was aecumulated when the Cd concentration in the substrate was 47.17±3.80 mg/kg. The bioconcentration factors of the roots (BCF>2.7) were greater than that of the aerial organs, and the translocation factors (TF) were all less than 1, which indicated that Cd readily accumulated in the root but was not readily transported to the aerial part. Due to its high biomass production and Cd accumulation capacity, maize is a good candidate for use in bioenergy production on Cd-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]