Intercropping with Morus alba L. affects Cd accumulation in maize via rhizosphere regulation: Contrasting effects of two Morus alba L. cultivars.
Wang Q, Pan P, Lu F, Liu Z, Liu K
Phytoremediation
Mulberry trees planted alongside food crops in contaminated garden soil can act as a living filter — but the cultivar you choose determines whether it protects or worsens the contamination reaching your vegetables.
When scientists grew maize alongside a particular type of mulberry tree in soil laced with cadmium — a toxic heavy metal — the mulberry changed the soil chemistry around the roots in ways that prevented the maize from soaking up the poison. The mulberry released natural chemicals into the soil that essentially glued the cadmium in place so plant roots couldn't absorb it. Strikingly, a different variety of the same mulberry species did the opposite, making cadmium more available and causing maize to accumulate nearly 80% more of the metal.
Key Findings
Intercropping with mulberry cultivar G62 reduced cadmium root uptake by 91% and root-to-stem transfer by 91% in maize grown in contaminated soil.
Mulberry cultivar G12 had the opposite effect, increasing cadmium in maize leaves by 77% and stems by 83%, showing that cultivar choice is critical.
G62 improved soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient availability, and released specific metabolites (including ginkgolide B) that immobilized cadmium — with phosphorus and potassium identified as the core regulatory drivers.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found that intercropping maize with a specific mulberry cultivar (G62) dramatically reduced cadmium uptake in maize grown in contaminated soil, cutting root absorption by over 90%. The mulberry improved soil chemistry and released compounds that locked cadmium in place, while a different cultivar (G12) had the opposite effect, making cadmium more available to the maize.
Abstract Preview
To elucidate the mechanisms underlying Cd accumulation in maize under Morus alba L.-maize intercropping in Cd-contaminated tropical farmland, this study established monoculture and intercropping sy...
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Morus, a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa, though the three most common are referred to as whit...