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A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of intercropping with the cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulators Galinsoga parviflora, Bidens pilosa, Cosmos sulphureus and Solanum nigrum on the growth and Cd accumulation of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk). The results show that intercropping with B. pilosa improved biomass and photosynthetic pigment contents of water spinach, but intercropping with G. parviflora, C. sulphureus and S. nigrum shaded water spinach; thus, the growth of water spinach was inhibited. When compared with monoculture, the Cd contents in roots and shoots of water spinach were reduced by intercropping with B. pilosa, C. sulphureus and S. nigrum, and the shoot Cd content decreased by 27.93%, 3.12% and 5.30%, respectively. Intercropping with G. parviflora reduced the root Cd content in water spinach, but increased the shoot Cd content. Therefore, intercropping with B. pilosa could promote the growth and reduce the Cd accumulation of water spinach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium is one of the most basic trace elements in the human body. It is necessary to improve the selenium content in agricultural products through agricultural planting technology to ensure that human nutrition and health need selenium. Therefore, our research passed the effect of intercropping on the growth and selenium accumulation of pakchoi, lettuce and radish were studied through pot experiments to determine whether intercropping of the three crop species can improve their selenium accumulation ability. The results showed that intercropping increased the root and shoot biomass of pakchoi and radish compared with the monocultures, while the biomass of roots and shoots decreased in other intercropping combinations. Intercropping also affected the photosynthetic pigment content of the three crop species. Specifically, the photosynthetic pigments increased in pakchoi and decreased in radish after intercropping. Notably, intercropping the three crop species together increased the SOD (superoxide dismutase) activities of the three crops compared with the monocultures. Meanwhile, intercropping radish with lettuce significantly increased the activities of SOD and CAT (catalase) in radish. Intercropping also increased the soluble sugar content in pakchoi and soluble protein content of radish relative to the monocultures. Furthermore, intercropping decreased the selenium content and the bioconcentration factor of the roots of the three vegetable crops, but improved the shoot selenium content, the bioconcentration factor and the transport factor of Se in pakchoi and radish. In conclusion, intercropping combination of pakchoi and radish can improve selenium accumulation in the edible parts of the crops, which is significant for efficient production of selenium-enriched vegetables. This research is significant because this study provides some basis for improving the selenium content of plants and efficient production of pakchoi and radish. Under the condition of selenium application in soil, the intercropping of pakchoi and lettuce can promote the growth of both and improve their selenium enrichment ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of intercropping with cadmium (Cd) accumulator plant Eclipta prostrata and hyperaccumulator plant Crassocephalum crepidioides on the growth and Cd accumulation of tomato seedlings. In the preliminary experiment, intercropping with E. prostrata and C. crepidioides promoted the growth and decreased the Cd content in roots and shoots of tomato seedlings. In the further experiment, intercropping with E. prostrata and C. crepidioides had the same effects on the growth and Cd content of tomato seedlings as the preliminary experiment. In the further experiment, when three plant species (E. prostrate, C. crepidioides and tomato) intercropping together, the root and shoot biomasses of tomato seedlings got the maximum, and the Cd content in tomato seedlings got the minimum. Compared with the monoculture of tomato, three plant species intercropping increased the root and shoot biomasses of tomato seedlings by 49.28% and 64.19%, respectively, and decreased the Cd contents in roots and shoots of tomato seedlings by 17.35% and 22.35%, respectively. Intercropping with E. prostrata and C. crepidioides also increased the photosynthetic pigment content and enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activity of tomato seedlings. For accumulator and hyperaccumulator plants, intercropping with tomato inhibited the growth of E. prostrata and C. crepidioides, while increased the Cd content in two plant species. Therefore, intercropping with E. prostrata and C. crepidioides could promote the growth and reduce the Cd uptake of tomato seedlings, and three plant species intercropping together was the best combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of orchard by cadmium (Cd) has recently increased in severity. To decrease the Cd content in fruit tree, a pot-based experiment was conducted to study the effects of intercropping with two Solanum species (Solanum alatum and Solanum diphyllum) on the growth and Cd accumulation of Cyphomandra betacea seedlings. The data revealed that intercropping with two Solanum species significantly increased the biomass, photosynthetic pigment contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and soluble protein contents of C. betacea seedlings under Cd stress condition. The intercropping significantly decreased the Cd content in C. betacea seedlings. However, the intercropping significantly decreased the S. alatum and S. diphyllum biomasses, while increased the Cd content and accumulation in the roots and shoots of two Solanum species, and the Cd uptake by S. alatum was lower than that of S. diphyllum. Therefore, intercropping with these two Solanum species, especially S. diphyllum, may promote the growth and decrease the Cd content in C. betacea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experiment, four cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator species (Crassocephalum crepidioides, Galinsoga parviflora, Sigesbeckia orientalis, and Solanum nigrum) were intercropped with grape (Vitis vinifera) cuttings together in Cd-containated soil to study the effects of intercropping with the Cd-hyperaccumulator plants on growth and Cd accumulation of grape seedlings. Compared with the monoculture, intercropping with S. nigrum increased the biomass of grape seedlings, but intercropping with the other three hyperaccumulator species decreased the grape seedling biomass. Intercropping with S. nigrum increased chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll contents in leaves of grape seedlings compared with the monoculture, whereas intercropping with the other three hyperaccumulator species showed either a decrease or no effect. Intercropping with hyperaccumulator plants had no significant effects on chlorophyll b and carotenoid contents in leaves of grape seedlings compared with the monoculture. Compared with the monoculture, intercropping with C. crepidioides, G. parviflora, S. nigrum and S. orientalis significantly decreased Cd contents in shoots of grape seedlings by 78.7%, 12.7%, 29.8% and 26.5%, respectively. Therefore, intercropping with hyperaccumulator plants can decrease Cd accumulation in grape, and intercropping with S. nigrum can also promote grape seedling growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three cadmium (Cd) accumulator species (Conyza canadensis, Cardamine hirsuta, and Cerastium glomeratum) were co-cultured in Cd-contaminated soil in pots to study the effects of intercropping on co-remediation. Only C. canadensis intercropped with C. glomeratum, C. hirsuta intercropped with C. glomeratum, and three-species intercropping increased plant biomass compared with their respective monocultures. The treatments of C. canadensis intercropped with C. glomeratum and three-species intercropping increased the Cd contents in roots and shoots of C. canadensis, whereas the other intercropping treatments decreased or had no significant impact on Cd contents. As for Cd accumulation, the treatments of C. canadensis intercropped with C. glomeratum, C. hirsuta intercropped with C. glomeratum, and three-species intercropping increased Cd accumulation in a single plant compared with that of their respective monocultures, whereas other intercropping treatments decreased Cd accumulation in individual plants. Only the treatments of C. canadensis intercropped with C. glomeratum and C. hirsuta intercropped with C. glomeratum increased Cd accumulation in shoots of a single pot compared with that of their respective monocultures. Therefore, C. canadensis intercropped with C. glomeratum and C. hirsuta intercropped with C. glomeratum may improve the phytoremediation efficiency for Cd-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]