Chromium stress in paddy: (i) nutrient status of paddy under chromium stress; (ii) phytoremediation of chromium by aquatic and terrestrial weeds.

A field experiment was conducted with paddy (Oryza sativa L.) irrigated with different concentrations (Control, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 mg/l) of chromium. The changes in growth, yield, nutrient content and chromium accumulation in the paddy are reported. The growth of shoot, root, total leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight and yield of the paddy gradually decreased with increasing Cr concentration. Similarly, the uptake of macronutrients (N, P, K) and micronutrients (Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe) were also gradually decreased. However, the chromium accumulation gradually increased with the increasing concentrations of chromium. Among the aquatic plants tested, Eicchornia crassipes showed better performance in accumulating higher amount of chromium. Similarly, certain grasses and weeds such as Cyperus rotundus, Cyperus kylinga, Marselia quadrifolia and Ludwigia parvifloria were used for the phytoremediation of chromium polluted soil. Among them, Cyperus rotundus accumulated higher amount of chromium than the other plants tested.