Optimized Method for Cultivation and Microbial Bioaugmentation of Typha latifolia (Cattail)

Typha latifolia, more commonly known as the broadleaf cattail or the common bulrush, has a globally reaching range and dominates wetland ecosystems in North America. While different species of cattail are often considered invasive in North America, T. latifolia is considered the native species to the region and is found throughout the entire continent as the dominant Typha species. Historically, Typha has served various functions, from food sources to building materials. More recently, T. latifolia has emerged as a prominent species to aid bioremediation efforts. With increasing interest in the development of constructed wetland treatment systems (CWTS) for contaminant remediation, reproducible techniques to cultivate cattail in a laboratory environment are necessary. The work presented here examined and tested various growth parameters for the successful cultivation of T. latifolia from seed. Successful germination of Typha species involves scarification (rupture of the seed coat), which was achieved using mechanical techniques for large-scale production. Early seed establishment was shown to favor low nutrient growth conditions for the first week, followed by the introduction of fertilizer in subsequent weeks to enhance post-transplant survival. For microbial bioaugmentation of the plant system, results showed that soaking the seeds in inoculum leads to more extensive colonization of the root tissue and long-term bacterial persistence. An optimized seed sterilization technique using a combination of bleach and detergent was used to improve microorganism colonization success. The growth vessels, both sterile and non-sterile, designed in this study support the long-term growth of T. latifolia under various conditions.