Influence of Planting Density on the Phytoremediation Efficiency of Festuca arundinacea in cd-Polluted Soil

Planting density can influence the biomass generation and element uptake capacity of various plants, which are two critical factors that determine the phytoremediation efficiency of plants. A series of 70 d experiments was performed to evaluate the influence of the planting density (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 g seeds center dot m(- 2), namely D10, D15, D20, D25, and D30, respectively) of Festuca arundinacea on the decontamination of Cd-polluted soils. The variations in the biomass yield, falling tissue (senescent and dead leaf tissues) proportion, and Cd extraction capacity of the species under different cultivation strategies were determined. The results showed that the biomass generation of the species per square meter increased as the planting density increased, reached a peak at D20, and then decreased significantly. In addition, planting density can change the proportions of different leaf types, and the highest amount of senescent and dead leaves which accumulated significantly more Cd compared with the emerging and mature leaf tissues was observed at D20. A suitable planting density can also drive the species to secrete more dissolved organic matter (DOM), especially hydrophilic fractionations in to the soil, activating more Cd. Therefore, the phytoremediation efficiency of the species was determined by the dry weight of the falling tissues, which contained more than 75% of the leaf Cd. A suitable planting density can enhance the Cd decontamination capacity of F. arundinacea, and the adjustment of the planting density is a practicable and economical method that can be performed in real fields.