[Effects of dissolved organic matter on copper absorption by ryegrass]

In this study, dissolved organic matter (DOM) was extracted from earthworm casts and from the cattle manure with which the earthworms were fed, and a water culture experiment was conducted to study the effects of the DOM on the copper (Cu2+) absorption by ryegrass in the presence of different concentration Cu2+ (0, 5 and 10 mg x L(-1)). With the increasing concentration of Cu2+ in the medium, there was a gradual decrease in the dry mass of ryegrass shoots and roots and in the root length, surface area, volume, and tip number. In the presence of medium Cu2+, DOM increased the biomass of shoots and roots and the root length, surface area, volume, and tip number significantly. DOM reduced the Cu2+ concentration in roots, promoted the Cu2+ translocation from roots to shoots, and significantly increased the Cu2+ accumulation in shoots. The DOM from earthworm casts had better effects than that from cattle manure, and high concentration DOM had better effects than low concentration DOM.