Towards practical cadmium phytoextraction with Noccaea caerulescens

A series of field trials were conducted to investigate the potential of Noccaea caerulescens F.K. Mey [syn. Thlaspi caerulescens J &C Presl. (see Koch and Al-Shehbaz 2004)] populations (genotypes) derived from southern France to phytoextract localized Cd/Zn contamination in Thailand. Soil treatments included pH variation and fertilization level and application of fungicide. N. caerulescens populations were transplanted to the field plots three months after germination and harvested in May, prior to the onset of seasonal rains. During this period growth was rapid with shoot biomass ranging from 0.93-2.2 g plant(-1) (280-650 kg ha(-1)) DW. Shoot Cd and Zn concentrations for the four populations evaluated ranged from 460-600 and 2600-2900 mg kg(-1) DW respectively. Cadmium and Zn Translocation Factors (shoot/root) for the populations tested ranged from 0.91-1.0 and 1.7-2.1 and Bioaccumulation Factors ranged from 12-15 and 1.2-1.3. We conclude that optimizing the use of fungicidal sprays, acidic soil pH, planting density and increasing the effective cropping period will increase rates of Cd and Zn removal enough to facilitate practical Cd phytoextraction from rice paddy soils in Thailand.