The estimation of Miscanthus×giganteus' adaptive potential for cultivation on the mining and post-mining lands in Ukraine

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Jan;26(3):2974-2986. doi: 10.1007/s11356-018-3741-0. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Abstract

The possibility of Miscanthus×giganteus cultivation as an energy crop on the different types of mining rocks was studied. It was revealed that a loess-like loam and red-brown clay with the added black soil were the most suitable for plant growing. The yield of dry above-ground biomass ranged from 4.3 to 6.8 t DM ha-1 after the first year of cultivation and from 8.9 to 9.7 t DM ha-1 after the second year while using these substrates. The application of amendments stimulated the growth and development of plants and increased productivity from 50 to 140%. M.×giganteus showed sufficient tolerance and good enough growth on the geochemically active dark-gray schist clay with yield from 2 to 3 t DM ha-1 after the first year of cultivation already. For plants grown on the different strata of dark-gray schist clay, the thermal decomposition of the biomass took place in four stages in the temperature range from 30 to 640 °C. The samples grown on stratum 0-20 cm showed the highest reactivity with a peak 30.6%/min at 290 °C. There were differences in the concentrations of determined heavy metals: iron, zinc, copper, and lead in the plant tissues depending on the layer depth of dark-gray schist clay from 0 to 20 cm to 40-60 cm. The relatively limited content of heavy metals in the above-ground biomass was due to the preferential accumulation in the roots.

Keywords: Biologically active agents; Biometric parameters; Heavy metal; Miscanthus×giganteus; Phytomeliorated mining rocks; Productivity; Thermolysis.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Biological*
  • Biomass
  • Metals, Heavy / analysis*
  • Mining*
  • Plant Roots / chemistry
  • Plant Roots / growth & development
  • Poaceae / chemistry
  • Poaceae / growth & development*
  • Soil / chemistry*
  • Soil Pollutants / analysis*
  • Ukraine

Substances

  • Metals, Heavy
  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants

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