Phytotoxicity of zinc, nickel, cadmium, lead, copper and chromium in three pasture plant species supplied with graduated amounts from the soil.

Abstract

In pot trials, (a) Plantago lanceolata: (b) white clover and (c) perennial ryegrass were grown on an acid sandy soil with added levels of Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cu and Cr as single test elements. The metals were classified for inhibitive metal conc. in the shoots of the plants and in the soil. Ni, Cd and Cu were found to cover a 5-fold range with one exception: Cd in (a) was inhibitive at a 10-fold higher tissue conc. than in (b) and (c). Zn was more efficiently absorbed, but tolerated at a higher soil conc. because it was much less toxic to the tissue. Cr was tolerated at low shoot conc. but at high conc. in the soil because its uptake by the shoots was disproportionally smaller. Differences between plant spp. in response to the soil test levels were illustrated in terms of relative uptake and shoot conc. for toxicity. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)