Application of chelate GLDA for remediating Cd-contaminated farmlands using Tagetes patula L.

In the present study, via a 180-day field trial, the indicators of soil total cadmium, DTPA-Cd, organic matter, and plant cadmium extraction were tested after the application of chelate tetrasodium glutamate diacetate (GLDA) to investigate the potential of GLDA combined with Tagetes patula L. to remediate cadmium-contaminated soil. To do so, five GLDA treatments (e.g., 0, 292.5, 585, 1170, and 2340 kg hm−2) were practiced. For each treatment, the total GLDA was divided into two applications with 15-day intervals (0.25, 0.47, and 0.61 mg·kg−1) under T. patula plantation. Compared with the control, our results showed that GLDA application significantly increased the biomass of aerial parts of T. patula by 21.9% (p < 0.05). Likewise, Cd content in aboveground and underground parts of T. patula increased by 94.7% and 60.5%, respectively, compared with the control (p < 0.05). GLDA application caused significant increases in Cd accumulations in cell soluble fraction and cell wall by 290% and 123%, respectively (p < 0.05); soil pH and DTPA-Cd content increased with the increase of total application of GLDA. Co-application of GLDA (2340 kg hm−2) and T. patula reduced the total soil Cd content by 12.87% compared with the soil background. Altogether, our findings conclude on the efficacy of GLDA application for the remediation of Cd-contaminated farmlands under T. patula cultivation.