Effect of cadmium on growth, photosynthesis, mineral nutrition and metal accumulation of bana grass and vetiver grass

• Bana grass is Cd accumulator and vetiver grass was Cd excluder.
• Cd pollution showed no significant effect on the photosynthesis rate and chlorophyll content of both grasses.
• The effects of Cd contamination on the energy allocation and mineral nutrition uptake of bana grass and vetiver grass were different.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the differential effects of Cd contamination on the growth, photosynthesis, mineral nutrition and Cd accumulation of bana grass (Pennisetum americanum×Pennisetum purpureum) and vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides). Bana grass accumulated 48–453 and 25–208 mg kg−1 in plant roots and shoots, respectively, at 15–100 mg kg−1 soil Cd concentration, while vetiver grass accumulated 167–396 and 0.13–9.0 mg kg−1. These results indicated that bana grass was a Cd accumulator while vetiver grass was a Cd excluder. The ratio of root to shoot biomass was significantly increased in vetiver grass, while it was unchanged in bana grass by Cd pollution. This suggests that excluders may allocate more energy to roots than shoots under Cd pollution compared to un-contaminated condition, while accumulators may allocate equal proportions of energy to roots and shoots. For bana grass, soil Cd pollution significantly decreased the concentration of Fe and Mn in roots as well as the translocation factors of Zn and K. For vetiver grass, soil Cd pollution significantly decreased the concentration of Fe in roots and had no influence on the translocation factors of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mg, K and Ca. Soil Cd pollution showed no significant effect on chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rates in either of the grasses. The water content and leaf transpiration rate were significantly increased by Cd pollution in bana grass, while they were unchanged in vetiver grass. The results indicated that the energy allocation and mineral nutrition characteristics may aid in screening suitable plant species for phytoremediation.