Biomass Quality Variations over Different Harvesting Regimes and Dynamics of Heavy Metal Change in <i>Miscanthus lutarioriparius</i> around Dongting Lake
Xionghui Liao,
Yini Wu,
Tongcheng Fu,
Yasir Iqbal,
Sai Yang,
Meng Li,
Zili Yi,
Shuai Xue
Affiliations
Xionghui Liao
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Yini Wu
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Tongcheng Fu
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Yasir Iqbal
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Sai Yang
Orient Science & Technology College of Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Meng Li
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Zili Yi
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Shuai Xue
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, College of Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Miscanthus lutarioriparius has a growing area of 100,000 ha and an annual biomass production of 1 Mt around Dongting Lake. However, due to serious soil pollution, there is a concern that the M. lutarioriparius biomass could have high heavy metal (HM) concentrations. This necessitates investigation of biomass quality to find the appropriate end use. Thus, this study aims to investigate the dynamics of HM elements in the M. lutarioriparius biomass and their impact on biomass quality across different growing areas and harvest times. We analyzed the HM concentrations in soil and biomass from 11 sites under different harvesting times (April, August and December). Results showed that Cd in soil samples was 9.43-fold higher than the national standards. The heavily polluted soil caused a high HM concentration in the biomass and the accumulation increased with the delayed harvest. The fresh young shoots in April met the food limitation for Cd and Cr, whereas Pb concentration was slightly higher than the threshold limit. The mature biomass from the southern part had higher Mn, Cd and Pb, but lower Cu, Zn and Cr concentrations than that from the eastern part. These results can provide guidance for guaranteeing the consistent quality of the M. lutarioriparius biomass for bio-based industry.
