Germination and growth of Deschampsia cespitosa and Festuca ovina in arsenic soil

Arsenic contaminated soil is one of the major arsenic sources for potential harmful ecological impact on living organisms. Phytoremediation using viable plant species is an emerging, biological technology for the removal of toxic contaminants from soil. Although hyperaccumulating plants and plant varieties are known, there is still a need to find new (and preferably local) plant species for phytoremediation. The aim of this study was to investigate the germination and growth of two grass species common in the northern Fennoscandia with respect to the influences of high concentration arsenic. The study was conducted on Deschampsia cespitosa and Festuca ovina species that were collected from both arsenic contaminated and arsenic free areas at Green Stone Belt area in Kittilä, Central Lapland. Seed germination, seedling growth and cuttings growth in both the arsenic contaminated soil (collected from Kuotko area) and controlled soil (collected from Kallo area) were observed over a period of 8 weeks (2017 to 2018). Seed or cutting origin, soil type and inoculant plant origin, all either contaminated (arsenic) or control, were the studied factors. Germination and leaf number of Deschampsia cespitosa were significantly affected by contaminated condition originated seed and soil and performance was markedly better in controlled condition. Germination of Festuca ovina was also significantly higher in controlled condition originated seed although the performance was better in contaminated condition soil. Leaf number of Festuca ovina performed better in contaminated condition originated seed. In cuttings growth, leaf number For Festuca ovina, was higher in controlled condition originated plants than on contaminated condition. Oppositely contaminated condition soil type produced longer leaves. Leaf number and leaf length of Deschampsia cespitosa were not significantly affected by arsenic treatment. Festuca ovina resulted slightly higher shoot biomass in controlled condition than contaminated condition. Root biomass of both Deschampsia cespitosa and Festuca ovina were not affected by arsenic treatment. The overall results show that Deschampsia cespitosa and Festuca ovina were both affected in the arsenic concentrated soil. However, Deschampsia cespitosa did suffer from high arsenic soil conditions whereas Festuca ovina was as fruitful in arsenic concentrated soil as in control soil in all the greenhouse growth experiments including germination and growth results