Potential of Gibberellic Acid 3 (GA3) for Enhancing the Phytoremediation Efficiency of Solanum nigrum L.

A microcosm experiment with artificially contaminated soils was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the effect of gibberellic acid 3 (GA3) on phytoremediation efficiency of Solanum nigrum L. The GA3 was applied at three different concentrations (10, 100, 1000 mg L(-1)) to S. nigrum. Results indicated that GA3 can significantly (p < 0.05) increase the biomass of S. nigrum by 56 % at 1000 mg L(-1). Concurrently, GA3 application increased Cd concentrations in the shoot of S. nigrum by 16 %. The combined effects resulted in an increase in the amount of Cd extracted by a single plant by up to 124 %. Therefore, it is possible to use GA3 to promote the Cd phytoremediation efficiency of S. nigrum.