Compost-assisted revegetation of highly phytotoxic sulfidic tailings with Medicago sativa L. plants grown from the seed to seedpod stage under greenhouse experimental mesocosms conditions

Abstract

The revegetation of highly phytotoxic sulfidic tailings is a challenging task which may often be successfully accomplished only following the addition of soil amendments. This study evaluated the use of green compost at increasing rates (10, 25 and 50% v/v) for the revegetation of extremely acidic sulfidic tailings of the North Mathiatis mine, Cyprus, with the use of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants, under greenhouse conditions. Alfalfa seeds were successfully germinated in tailings amended either with 25% or 50% (v/v) compost (52 and 85%, respectively). Plants managed to complete their life cycle and produce seeds only in the tailings amended with 50% (v/v) compost, since plants grown in tailings amended with lower rates of compost (i.e., 10 or 25% v/v) showed severe symptoms of phytotoxicity and eventually died. The amendment of tailings with 50% (v/v) green compost resulted in increased pH values, water holding capacity and organic content levels, soil respiration rates, as well as changes in soil elemental composition compared with tailings alone treatment, which in turn facilitated the growth and development of alfalfa plants during the whole experimental period (140 days). Plants managed to reach the late seedpod growth stage, indicating their potential regeneration and continual existence to the amended tailings, simultaneously uncovering the development of favorable conditions in the rhizosphere for the successful revegetation of studied tailings.

Keywords: Compost; Germination index; Phytotoxicity; Soil respiration; Sulfidic tailings; Toxic heavy metal.