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Research article2013Peer reviewed

Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizae does not improve Cs-137 uptake in crops grown in the Chernobyl region

Vinichuk, Mykhailo; Mårtensson, Anna; Rosén, Klas

Abstract

Methods for cleaning up radioactive contaminated soils are urgently needed. In this study we investigated whether the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can improve Cs-137 uptake by crops. Barley, cucumber, perennial ryegrass, and sunflower were inoculated with AM fungi and grown in low-level radionuclide contaminated soils in a field experiment 70 km southwest of Chernobyl, Ukraine, during two successive years (2009-2010). Roots of barley, cucumber and sunflower plants were slightly or moderately infected with AM fungus and root infection frequency was negatively or non-correlated with Cs-137 uptake by plants. Roots of ryegrass were moderately infected with AM fungus and infection frequency was moderately correlated with Cs-137 uptake by ryegrass. The application of AM fungi to soil in situ did not enhance radionuclide plant uptake or biomass. The responsiveness of host plants and AM fungus combination to Cs-137 uptake varied depending on the soil, although mycorrhization of soil in the field was conditional and did not facilitate the uptake of radiocesium. The total amount of Cs-137 uptake by plants growing on inoculated soil was equal to amounts in plant cultivated on non-inoculated soil. Thus, the use of AM fungi in situ for bioremediation of soil contaminated with a low concentration of Cs-137 could not be recommended. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Barley; Cucumber; Rape; Ryegrass; Sunflower

Published in

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
2013, Volume: 126, pages: 14-19
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD