Potential of sunflower, castor bean, common buckwheat and vetiver as lead phytoaccumulators

ABSTRACT Studies concerning the tolerance, absorption and distribution of heavy metals in plants are essential for the success of phytoremediation programs. The present study was carried out in order to evaluate the potential of the sunflower, castor bean, common buckwheat and vetiver as lead phytoaccumulators. The species were grown in nutrient solution containing increasing doses of Pb (0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg L-1) during a 30-day exposure period. A completely randomized split-plot design was used, with a 4 x 5 factorial and three replicates. Significant reductions of dry matter of the root, shoot and whole plant were found in the all species under study as a function of the increased Pb doses. Vetiver showed higher tolerance to Pb contamination; sunflower and castor bean had intermediate tolerance and the common buckwheat proved to be the most sensitive species. The concentration and total content of Pb in plant compartments were significantly affected by the increased Pb doses in solution, and higher accumulation of this element was observed, in general, in the roots of the studied species. Common buckwheat proved to be not much promising for Pb-phytoremediation programs; sunflower showed potential for Pb phytoextraction and castor bean and vetiver were the most appropriate for Pb phytostabilization

Amostragem para avaliação da fertilidade do solo em função do instrumento de coleta das amostras e de tipos de preparo do solo Sampling for soil fertility evaluation as influenced by sampling tool and soil tillage

As medidas da média e da variabilidade dos índices de fertilidade do solo podem variar com o instrumento de coleta das amostras e com o tipo de preparo do solo. Assim, é necessário o desenvolvimento de métodos de amostragem de solo que melhor representem as reais condições de fertilidade do solo. Este trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar os efeitos da pá de corte e do trado de caneca nas medidas da média e da variabilidade de índices de fertilidade do solo sob plantio direto (PD) e preparo convencional (PC), estimar o número de amostras simples para formar uma composta e testar a hipótese de que a média aritmética das amostras simples é igual ao resultado da análise química da amostra composta. Foram coletadas amostras de um Luvissolo Crômico Pálico abrúptico em um experimento de comparação de tipos de preparo do solo, semeado com monocultura de milho. Coletaram-se 48 amostras simples de solo em uma parcela de 81 m² sob PD, sendo 24 com pá de corte (perpendicularmente aos sulcos e no espaço compreendido entre os pontos médios entre sulcos) e 24 com trado de caneca, em amostragem localizada (quatro amostras coletadas no sulco de plantio, oito a 10 cm do sulco e 12 no ponto médio entre os sulcos), próximas aos locais das amostras coletadas com pá de corte. Em outra parcela sob PC adotou-se o mesmo procedimento. A partir dessas amostras simples, foram preparadas, para cada combinação entre tipos de preparo do solo e instrumentos de coleta, amostras compostas de diferentes números de amostras simples (4, 8, 12, 16 e 24 amostras simples/amostra composta), com três repetições. Em todas as amostras simples e compostas, determinaram-se o pH e os teores de P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ e matéria orgânica. As características avaliadas em amostras coletadas com trado de caneca apresentaram maior variabilidade do que quando foram avaliadas em amostras coletadas com pá de corte, independentemente do tipo de preparo do solo. Nos dois instrumentos de coleta, a ordem decrescente de variabilidade foi: P > Mg2+ > K+ > Ca2+ > MO > pH. A fertilidade média de uma parcela sob PD ou sob PC após a colheita e antes do preparo do solo subseqüente pode ser avaliada com trado de caneca, em substituição à pá de corte, desde que na preparação da amostra composta de solo 17 % das amostras simples sejam coletadas no sulco de plantio, 33 % a 10 cm do sulco e 50 % no ponto médio entre os sulcos. A fertilidade média de uma parcela sob PD ou PC depois da colheita e antes do preparo do solo subseqüente, avaliada pela análise química da amostra composta, é semelhante àquela avaliada pela média aritmética dos resultados das análises químicas das amostras simples coletadas com pá de corte ou com trado de caneca de forma dirigida. Em geral, a coleta de pelo menos oito amostras simples de solo realizada com pá de corte ou trado de caneca de forma dirigida, conforme utilizado neste trabalho, seria suficiente para formar uma amostra composta representativa para avaliação da fertilidade do solo de uma unidade de amostragem aparentemente homogênea. Entretanto, quanto maior o número de amostras simples coletadas, maior será a confiabilidade ou exatidão da estimativa dessa fertilidade média.<br>The measures of the average and variability of soil fertility indexes can vary with the sampling tool and soil tillage type. Soil sampling methods must be developed that are more reliable to represent the real conditions of soil fertility. This study aimed at an evaluation of the effects of the cutting shovel and hand auger on measures of average and variability of the soil fertility index (a) under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT), (b) to estimate the minimum number of simple samples to form a composite sample and (c) to test the hypothesis that the arithmetic average of simple samples is equal to the result of the chemical analysis of the composite sample. Chromic Luvisol samples were collected in a control experiment of soil tillage type, planted with corn. In a 81 m² plot under NT 48 simple soil samples were collected, 24 with a cutting shovel (perpendicularly to the furrow and in-between two furrows) and 24 with auger hole, in controlled sampling (four samples collected in the planting furrow, 8 to 10 cm away from the furrow and 12 in-between the furrows), close to the points of sampling with the cutting shovel. The procedure was repeated in a second plot under CT. Composite samples of different numbers of simple samples (4, 8, 12, 16 and 24 simple samples/composite samples), with three repetitions were prepared for each combination of soil tillage type - collection tool. The pH and the contents of P, K+ Ca2+, Mg2+ and organic matter (OM) were determined in all simple and composite samples. The variability of the evaluated characteristics in samples collected with auger hole was greater than with the cutting shovel, independent of the soil tillage type. For both collection tools, the decreasing order of variability was: P > Mg2+ > K+ > Ca2+ > OM > pH. The medium fertility of a field under NT or under CT after the crop and before subsequent soil preparation can be evaluated with the auger hole, substituting the cutting shovel, if the composite sample consists of 17 % of simple samples collected in the planting furrow, 33 % at a distance of 10 cm from the furrow and 50 % in the middle between the furrows. The mean fertility of a field under NT or CT after the crop and before the subsequent soil preparation, evaluated by the chemical analysis of the composite sample, is similar to that evaluated by the arithmetic average of the chemical analyses of the simple samples collected with cutting shovel or with auger hole in a controlled manner, as used here. In general, a minimum of eight simple samples collected with cutting shovel or hand auger would be enough to form a representative composite sample for evaluation of the soil fertility of a unit of seemingly homogeneous sampling. However, the higher the number of collected simple samples, the more reliable or accurate is the medium fertility estimate