Growth of Jatropha curcas L. seedlings in soil contaminated with copper mine tailings amended with compost and Trichoderma pseudokoningii Rifai.

Date

10-2009

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Biology

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Virginia C. Cuevas

Abstract

FONTANILLA, CYREENE S. October 2009. Growth of fatropha curcas L. in Soil Contaminated with Mine Tailings Amended with Compost and Trichoderma pseudokoningii Rifai. College of Arts and Sciences. University of the Philippines Los Banos. Bachelor of Science in Biology major in Ecology. Major Adviser: Dr. Virginia C. Cuevas ABSTRACT A pot experiment was conducted to observe the growth performance of latropha curcas L. in high Cu (212 ppm) and less Cu (42 ppm) contaminated soil (collected from an abandoned Cu mine site in Mogpog, Marinduque) amended with Trichoderma pseudokoningii, compost and compost + T pseudokoningii. Growth was assessed through measurement of the following parameters: height, stem diameter, number of leaves, dry weight of root, stem and leaves. The ability of the seedlings to accumulate Cu in its tissues was also monitored through plant tissue analysis after 6.5 month-growth of the seedlings. The effect of the various amendments on soil pH and soil Cu concentration was also observed through soil chemical analysis. Results of the study reveal that with addition of 20% compost and 20% compost + T. pseudokoningii. growth performance of J. curcas seedlings improved as compared with the growth in soil without amendment and with T. pseudokoningii amendment. In the less Cu contaminated soil, the seedlings grown in the compost and compost + T. pseudokoningii-amended soil had higher mean height, thicker mean stem diameter, more number of leaves, and higher mean dry weight of root, stem and leaves than those grown without amendment and with T pseudokoningii amendment. In the high Cu-contaminated soil, only those seedlings that were grown in the compost and compost + T pseudokoningii amended soil were able to grow and survive for 6.5 months. The seedlings died after I month in unamended and T. pseudokoningii-amended, high Cu-contaminated soil. T. pseudokoningii is not an effective bioremediation agent. In both high and less Cu-contaminated soil, the growth of the seedlings in the T. pseudokoningii-amended soil did not differ significantly in the soil without amendment. The growth was improved in both high and less Cu-contaminated soil with 20% compost added due to increased soil pH and reduced Cu concentration in the soil. In the high Cu-contaminated soil with compost and compost + T. pseudokoningii, soil pH increased from 4.6 to a range of 7.5-7.6. Also, in the less Cu-contaminated soil with the same amendments, pH increased from 5.4 to a range of 7.7-7.75. Reduction in the soil Cu concentration may be due to metal-binding properties of the organic matter in compost. Accumulation of Cu in all the plant parts was in the order of root>leaves>stem. J. curcas is an accumulator because it was able to accumulate more than the metabolic need of 20 ppm Cu. After 6.5 months growth, the seedlings accumulated a total of 335.5 to 356 ppm Cu in high Cu-contaminated soil amended with compost and compost + T. pseudokoningii, while in the less Cu-contaminated soil without amendment and with T pseudokoningii amendment seedlings accumulated a total of 43-46.5 ppm Cu. In both cases, amount of Cu accumulated was higher than what was analyzed to be available in the soil of 212 ppm and 42 ppm Cu for high and low contaminated soil, respectively. J. curcas can be used for phytoremediation in Cu-contaminated soil with the addition of at least 20% compost as shown in this study.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

Thesis

Document Type

Thesis

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