The Application of Fertilizer and AMF Promotes Growth and Reduces the Cadmium and Lead Contents of Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) in a Copper Mining Area

Heavy metal-polluted soil was collected from the Pulang copper mine in Shangri-La City, Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The effects of fertilizer (organic and inorganic) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) growth, root morphology, mineral nutrition and cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) contents were investigated by pot experiments. The results showed that both fertilizer and AMF significantly ameliorated the root morphology and mineral nutrition, reduced the Cd and Pb contents, and promoted the growth of ryegrass. Among all treatments, the combined application of organic–inorganic compound fertilizer with AMF had the highest effect, resulting in increases in root length, surface area and branch number by 2.3, 1.1, and 3.9 times, respectively; an 88% increase in plant biomass; a nitrogen content increase of 2.3 and 1.2 times, and phosphorus content increase of 62% and 68% in shoots and roots, respectively was also recorded as well as decreases in Cd content by 34% and 62% and Pb content by 47% and 34% in shoots and roots, respectively. Two-factor analysis showed that both fertilizer and AMF significantly promoted ryegrass growth (plant height, biomass, chlorophyll content, root length, nitrogen and phosphorus content) and reduced the Cd and Pb contents in roots, and there was a synergistic effect between them. Moreover, the nitrogen and phosphorus contents were very significantly positively correlated with the shoot and root biomasses but very significantly negatively correlated with the Cd and Pb contents of ryegrass. Thus, the application of fertilizer and AMF synergistically improved ryegrass growth on polluted soils in the copper mining area.