Self-rooted grafting influences the growth and cadmium accumulation characteristics in the post generation of Cosmos sulphureus.

To determine whether self-rooted grafting increases the cadmium (Cd) accumulation in post generations of hyperaccumulator or accumulator plants, a pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of self-rooted grafting on growth and Cd accumulation in the post generation of the accumulator plant Cosmos sulphureus. Four treatments were applied in the experiment with soil Cd concentration of 5 mg kg: ungrafted (UG), self-rooted grafting of the same C. sulphureus seedling (SG), self-rooted grafting of two C. sulphureus seedlings at the same growth stage (TG), and self-rooted grafting of two C. sulphureus seedlings at different developmental stages (DG). Compared with those of UG plants, the SG, TG, and DG treatments increased the root, stem, leaf, and shoot biomasses of plants in the post-grafting generation, consistent with the rank order DG > TG > SG > UG. The SG, TG, and DG treatments decreased the Cd contents in different organs of the post-grafting generation compared with those of UG plants. Only DG increased Cd extraction by the shoots in the post-grafting generation, which was increased by 6.28% compared with that of the UG treatment. In addition, SG, TG, and DG increased the photosynthetic pigment contents and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities in the post-grafting generation compared with those of the UG treatment. Thus, self-rooted grafting promoted growth of C. sulphureus plants in the post generation. The DG treatment increased Cd extraction by C. sulphureus plants in the post-grafting generation, which may be exploited for phytoremediation of urban Cd-contaminated soil.