Comparison of Common Vetch Plant Growth, Arsenic and Nutrients Uptakes in the Clean and Arsenic-Contaminated Soils

Abstract

Common vetch plant (Vicia sativa L.) growth under various arsenic (As) loads was investigated in the clean (1st year cultivation) and As-contaminated soils (2nd year cultivation). The total dry weight (DW) of common vetch gradually increased by the application of low concentration of As-contaminated irrigation waters (IWs) while the decrease of total DW to lower than the control plant at high As loads was observed. Compared with the control plant, the aboveground biomass yield loss was 7.6% and 61.6% in the 1st and 2nd cultivation years, respectively. The root dry (RDW) loss was about 36% in the 2nd cultivation year while the 1st year crop root yield loss was 56.5%. In the 1st cultivation year crops, the root As amount was about 1.8–1.9 fold higher than in the shoots while it reached to about 4–11 fold in the 2nd year crops. Although, common vetch might be defined as a highly tolerant plant to As in the clean soil, results demonstrated that the As tolerance of plant could decline when the usage of As-contaminated IWs for a prolonged time. Application of As-contaminated waters for a long time caused the changes of macro (N, P, Ca, Mg, and K) and microelements (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) transportation from the root to aboveground biomass.