Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on cadmium phytoremediation by marigold (Tagetes erecta)

Phytoremediation is a biological method by which plants are used to remove environmental pollution caused by toxic elements such as the accumulation of cadmium, copper, lead, chromium, etc. from soil. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) help the plant to increase uptake and translocation of low mobility nutrients and also micronutrients. In this research, arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculant was produced through the isolation of fungi from the roots of marigold and its propagation with clover and sorghum under greenhouse conditions. Moreover the symbiotic effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the concentration and transfer of cadmium from the roots to the shoots in Marigold was studied under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted using a factorial based on randomized complete books design with five levels of Cd (0,100, 200, 400, 800 mg kg-1 soil), using the soluble from of CdCl2.H2O and two level of mycorrihizal inoculation (non- inoculated and inoculated) with four replications. Greenhouse test results showed concentrations of cadmium in shoots ranges between 3.91 to 94.9 and in roots between 4.23 and 151 mg.kg-1, which causes toxicity in the plant, with more severe symptoms of toxicity in non-mycorrhizal plants. The results also showed inoculation of marigold with AMF caused increase of P translocation to shoot and accumulation of Cd in roots. Phytoremediation is a biological method by which plants are used to remove environmental pollution caused by toxic elements such as the accumulation of cadmium, copper, lead, chromium, etc. from soil. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) help the plant to increase uptake and translocation of low mobility nutrients and also micronutrients. In this research, arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculant was produced through the isolation of fungi from the roots of marigold and its propagation with clover and sorghum under greenhouse conditions. Moreover the symbiotic effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the concentration and transfer of cadmium from the roots to the shoots in Marigold was studied under greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted using a factorial based on randomized complete books design with five levels of Cd (0,100, 200, 400, 800 mg kg-1 soil), using the soluble from of CdCl2.H2O and two level of mycorrihizal inoculation (non- inoculated and inoculated) with four replications. Greenhouse test results showed concentrations of cadmium in shoots ranges between 3.91 to 94.9 and in roots between 4.23 and 151 mg.kg-1, which causes toxicity in the plant, with more severe symptoms of toxicity in non-mycorrhizal plants. The results also showed inoculation of marigold with AMF caused increase of P translocation to shoot and accumulation of Cd in roots.