Characterization of an ecotype of brake-fern, Pteris vittata, for arsenic tolerance and accumulation in plant biomass

An ecotype of brake fern (Pteris vittata) was assessed for arsenic tolerance and accumulation in its biomass under in vivo and in vitro condition; using soil, and agar-gelled Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of arsenic. The plants were raised in soil amended with 100–1000 mg arsenic kg−1 soil, and MS medium was supplemented with 10–300 mg arsenic 1−1 medium using Na2HAsO4 · 7H2O. The spores and haploid gametophytic-prothalli were raised in vitro on MS medium supplemented with arsenic. The field plants showed normal growth and biomass formation in arsenic amended soil, and accumulated 1908–4700 mg arsenic kg−1 dry aerial biomass after 10 weeks of growth. Arsenic toxicity was observed above >200 mg arsenic kg−1 soil. The concentrations of arsenic accumulated in the plant biomass were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Normal plants were developed from spores and gametophyte prothalli on the MS media supplemented with 50–200 mg arsenic 1−1 medium. The in vitro raised plants were tolerant to 300 mg arsenic kg−1 of soil and accumulated up to 3232 mg arsenic kg−1 dry aerial biomass that showed better growth performance, biomass generation and arsenic accumulation in comparison to the field plants.