Impacts of heavy metals contamination in fluvo-aquic soil on alfalfa

Pot experiments with orthogonal design have been conducted to study the impacts of heavy metals contamination (copper, zinc and cadmium) in fluvo-aquic soil on alfalfa growth. The heavy metal concentrations of the test soil are based on the Chinese Soil Environment Equality Standard (CSEES). The biomass and the total heavy metal contents of alfalfa and the available heavy metal concentrations of the test soil have been determined. The results indicate that heavy metals stress has little effects on the growth of the alfalfa when the concentration of the test soil is under the second level of CSEES, and there is evident stress on the growth of the herbage when heavy metals concentration reaches the third level. So CSEES is appropriate to the alfalfa growth in the test soil. There is evident antagonism between copper and zinc under the combined contamination. The soil available ion impulse is the appropriate method to evaluate the correlation of the heavy metal between the alfalfa and fluvo-aquic soil.