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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]

Selenium (Se) deficiency causes various diseases in humans. Se can be obtained from fruits and vegetables. In this study, the fruit tree Cyphomandra betacea was intercropped with three Solanum sect. Solanum (Solanaceae) wild vegetables [diploid (S. photeinocarpum), tetraploid (colchicine-induced S. photeinocarpum), and hexaploid (S. nigrum)], respectively, and Se uptakes of these plants were determined by a pot experiment. Intercropping decreased the biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, and superoxide dismutase activity of C. betacea, but increased the peroxidase (POD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and soluble protein content of C. betacea. These indicators' values of sect. Solanum increased after intercropping. The contents of Se increased in C. betacea and sect. Solanum after intercropping. Intercropped with diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid increased the shoot Se contents in C. betacea by 13.73%, 17.49%, and 26.50%, respectively, relative to that of C. betacea monoculture. Intercropped with C. betacea increased the shoot Se contents in diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid by 35.22%, 68.86%, and 74.46%, respectively, compared with their respective monoculture. The biomass and Se content of intercropped sect. Solanum showed linear relationships with the biomass and Se content of their monocultures. The biomass and Se content of intercropped C. betacea also exhibited linear relationships with that of sect. Solanum monocultures. Correlation and grey relational analyses revealed that the CAT activity, POD activity, and soluble protein content were the top three indicators closely associated with the C. betacea shoot Se content. The POD activity, soluble protein content, and translocation factor were the top three indicators closely associated with sect. Solanum shoot Se content. Therefore, intercropping can promote the Se uptake in C. betacea and sect. Solanum wild vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercropping can affect the growth and elemental absorption of vegetables. This study investigated the physiology and cadmium (Cd) content of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. ramosa Hort.), and radish (Raphanus sativus L.) seedlings under monoculture, mutual intercropping of two or three varieties. Intercropping is not conducive to the accumulation of chlorophyll and biomass content of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish. When three seedlings were intercropped together, the antioxidant enzyme activity of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish increased and the content of malondialdehyde decreased, except that the superoxide dismutase activity of radish is inferior to the value of radish and pakchoi intercropping. Intercropping increased the soluble sugar and proline content in the lettuce seedlings, while those in the radish and lettuce seedlings reduced or had no significant effect. When intercropped with pakchoi and lettuce, the Cd content in the roots and shoots of pakchoi is higher and lower, respectively. At the same time, root or shoot bio-concentration factors also performed the same trend, and TF was the smallest and less than 1; however, the TF of lettuce is greater than 1. When intercropping with pakchoi or lettuce separately or together, it promoted the accumulation of Cd in radish root; when intercropping with pakchoi, the value of TF was the smallest. From the antioxidant system, the performance of the three seedlings intercropped together is better than the two; however, the accumulation of Cd shows the opposite trend, and the participation of cabbage in the intercropping is relatively conducive to reducing the Cd content in the edible parts. [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]

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]

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]

To determine whether the living hyperaccumulator plants and their straws have the same effects on the growth and heavy metal accumulation of common plants, two pot experiments (intercropping experiment and straw mulch experiment) were conducted to study the effects of living hyperaccumulator plants ( Solanum photeinocarpum , Tagetes erecta , Galinsoga parviflora and Bidens pilosa ) and their straws on the growth and cadmium (Cd) accumulation of common plant Cyphomandra betacea seedlings. Intercropping with T. erecta or B. pilosa promoted the growth of C. betacea seedlings compared with the monoculture, while intercropping with S. photeinocarpum or G. parviflora inhibited that. Intercropping with S. photeinocarpum decreased the Cd contents in the roots and shoots of C. betacea seedlings compared with the monoculture, but intercropping with the other plants did not. In the straw mulch experiment, the straw of S. photeinocarpum or T. erecta promoted the growth of C. betacea seedlings compared with the control, while the straw of G. parviflora or B. pilosa did not. The straw of S. photeinocarpum or T. erecta decreased the Cd contents in the shoots of C. betacea seedlings, and the straw of G. parviflora or B. pilosa increased the shoot Cd contents. Thus, intercropping with S. photeinocarpum and applying S. photeinocarpum or T. erecta straw can reduce the Cd uptake of C. betacea . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercropping affects heavy-metal uptake in plants. In this study, three cadmium (Cd)-accumulator species ( Stellaria media, Malachium aquaticum, and Galium aparine) were intercropped together in Cd-contaminated soil to study the effects of intercropping on co-remediation . Mutual intercropping significantly increased the biomasses of S. media, M. aquaticum, and G. aparine compared with their respective monocultures. The photosynthetic pigment contents of three species were not significantly affected by mutual intercropping. Mutual intercropping did not increase the Cd contents in roots and shoots of G. aparine, but it increased the Cd contents in roots of S. media and M. aquaticum. It also decreased the Cd contents in shoots of S. media and M. aquaticum. Only G. aparine intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping increased Cd-accumulation levels in whole plants of each species. Only S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping increased the Cd accumulation at the whole plant level in every plant in a single pot, with S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum showing the greatest increase. Therefore, S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum and three-species intercropping may improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soil, with S. media intercropped with M. aquaticum representing the best combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIntercropping can increase the utilization rate of light and water and can also improve plant growth. The objective of this study was to investigate the growth and selenium (Se) content in seedlings of three genotypes of cherry tomato under intercropping while applying Se. The pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. The monoculture of red, yellow and purple cherry tomato; among the three genotypes of cherry tomatoes, intercropping of two genotypes with each other, at the same time intercropping of three genotypes. These results show that the biomass increased under intercropping compared with monoculture. The chlorophyll b content of purple cherry tomato increased in different intercropping combinations. Furthermore, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate of purple were increased by intercropping with red and purple cherry tomatoes. The soluble protein and soluble sugar contents in yellow and purple cherry tomato increased by 49.13% and 8.37%, respectively, under mutual intercropping. Similarly, soluble sugar increased in purple cherry tomato by intercropping with yellow and red. The activities of superoxide and peroxidase in red and yellow cherry tomato seedlings were higher in all intercropping combinations than in monoculture, whereas free proline content and relative conductivity in all cherry tomatoes decreased. The Se content of roots, stem, and leaves in seedlings increased with intercropping. Therefore, intercropping can improve the growth and Se content of cherry tomatoes, and the combination of red, yellow and purple is better, which can be used to cultivate strong seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]