Heavy metals accumulation in soils poses a potential threat to ecosystems, which, in turn, threat human health through food chains. Therefore, remediating polluted sites is important to environment and humanity. In this investigation, statice (L. sinuatum) was exposed to Cd (0, 15, 30, 60 mg kg⁻¹ soil) or Pb (0, 100, 150, 300 mg kg⁻¹ soil) in a pot experiment to assess its tolerance to each metal and study its phytoaccumulation capability. The benefits of mycorrhization (mixture of Glomus mosseae and G. intraradices) were also studied simultaneously. Single exposure to Cd or Pb reduced the plant growth, but statice was still relatively tolerant to both metals. The plants accumulated both metals in their roots; little was translocated to the shoots. Total Pb and total Cd accumulated by the roots was approximately 2 and 3 times higher in mycorrhizal than non-mycorrhizal plants (49 versus 147 and 595 versus 956 μg plant⁻¹) respectively; however, mycorrhization alleviated metal phytotoxicity. The results suggest that statice is a potential candidate to be used as an ornamental plant in lead and cadmium polluted sites, mainly inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizae. Besides that, it would be useful as a Pb or Cd controlling agent by means of phytostabilization.

This study was carried out to evaluate the impact of irrigation regime and potting media on morpho-physiological and biochemical characteristics of pot marigold. The experiment was arranged factorially based on a completely randomized design. The first factor was irrigation regime in three levels of 80, 60 and 40% available water content and the second factor was potting media in five levels of 20% vermicompost, 30% vermicompost, 20% manure compost, 30% manure compost and control (sand and soil in equal proportions). Morpho-physiological traits (plant height, stem diameter, number of flowering stem, root diameter, root length, root dry weight, aerial dry weight, total dry weight, relative water content, ionic stability and water use efficiency) and biochemical traits (malondialdehyde content, catalase and peroxidase activity, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents) were measured. Morpho-physiological parameters, chlorophyll and carotenoid decreased under water deficit, while increased with application of vermicompost and manure compost. Also, lipid peroxidation, catalase and peroxidase activity enhanced under water deficit, while decreased with application of vermicompost and manure compost. In other words, the application of vermicompost and manure compost in potting media reduced the harmful effects of water deficit. Total dry mass and water use efficiency were about 3-fold higher in plants grown in 30% vermicompost or 30% manure compost substrate compared to those in control plants. The results suggest that the application of 30% manure compost could be recommended as suitable potting media due to reducing the negative effects of water shortages, helping to nourish the plant, cheapness and accessibility compared with 30% vermicompost.

With the world’s population and pollutants on the rise, it is crucial to find sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions that increase production efficiency. Organic horticulture is an effective strategy for creating a harmless and sustainable crop production system. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been proposed as reliable biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture, and inoculum production is a rapidly expanding market. AMF can enhance plant nutrition and growth, but their efficacy varies depending on the plant species, inoculum type, and available P concentrations. This study evaluates the response of ornamental statice (Limonium sinuatum [L.] Mill.) to mycorrhizal inoculation (first factor) with Glomus mosseae (M1), G. intraradices (M2), or their mixture (M3), plus non-inoculation (M0), and varying available P concentrations (second factor) of 10 (control, P1), 20 (P2), and 40 (P3) mg kg⁻¹ soil in greenhouse conditions in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Root colonization, growth parameters, some ornamental traits, and the absorption of P, N, K, Ca, Zn, and Fe were measured. Root colonization was estimated as 30–65% and was reduced approximately by 32.4% with increasing P concentration in the soil. The lowest colonization percentage was recorded in P3 (45.69, 39.31, and 30.18 for M1, M2, and M3, respectively). Statice plants were positively influenced by inoculation, especially with G. mosseae in moderately available P (P2), which was also confirmed by the results of the principal component analysis. Overall, inoculated plants exhibited better nutritional status, growth, and ornamental traits than non-inoculated plants. Furthermore, mycorrhization delayed the time to the flowering of statice by 12, 7, and 9 days in M1, M2, and M3, respectively, compared to non-mycorrhizal (M0) plants. In conclusion, mycorrhizal inoculation can improve the plant nutrition, growth, and ornamental value of statice by selecting appropriate inoculum and optimal P concentrations. The results of this study suggest that mycorrhizal inoculation can be effectively used in the future to increase the quantity and quality of statice production.

The mobility of nutrients in soils is well characterized, whereas little information is available for common horticultural substrates based on peat. Aim of the current study was to investigate the mobility and dynamics of phosphorus (P) as well as the parameters involved in P transport to plant roots in peat‐based substrates. A series of experiments was run to determine the impedance factor (f) and the buffer power (b). The impedance factor was determined for black peat and black peat mixed with 20% and 40% (v/v) of mineral component at volumetric water content (θ) of 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% and at different diffusion time. Buffer power was calculated for black peat and black peat mixed with 20% (v/v) of seven different mineral components. Phosphorus was applied at rates of 0, 35, and 100 mg (L substrate^–1), respectively. The impedance factor was not affected by addition of the mineral component to peat. However, f increased from 0.03 to 0.2, by increasing θ from 40% to 60%, indicating that water content has a significant effect on this parameter. Substrate‐solution P ranged from 0.3 to 27 and from 1 to 95 mg P (L solution)^–1 for the P‐application rate of 35 and 100 mg P (L substrate)^–1, respectively. Buffer power of the substrates ranged from 1 to 17.25 depending on the mineral component, and it was positively correlated with oxalate‐soluble Fe and Al in the substrate. The calculated effective diffusion coefficient for P in the substrate was in the range of 10^–7 to 10^–8 cm² s^–1. This high value could be attributed mostly to the low buffer power rather than to the high impedance factor.