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Effects of Copper Stresses and Intercropping on Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Malondialdehyde Contents in Maize
Received:April 23, 2014  
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KeyWord:copper;antioxidases;malondialdehyde;intercropping
Author NameAffiliationE-mail
WANG Xiao-wei Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China 
 
HUANG Guo-qin Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China 
 
XU Jian-cheng Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China 
 
NIE Ya-ping Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China 
 
WAN Jin-rong Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China 
 
YANG Xiao-yi Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China 
 
YANG Wen-ting Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China 
ywt111@163.com 
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Abstract:
      With industrial development, the area of arable land contaminated by heavy metals is steadily increasing around the world, especially in developing countries. Intercropping has shown the potential to phytoremediate heavy metal polluted soils. A pot experiment was conducted to explore the antioxidant responses of maize to copper(Cu) pollution in red soil under maize-pea intercropping. Five Cu concentrations(0, 100, 200, 400, 600 mg·kg-1) and two cropping patterns(maize monoculture and maize-pea intercropping) were designed. Plant biomass, Cu contents, antioxidant enzyme activities(SOD, CAT, POD) and MDA contents of maize were measured. Compared with those in the monoculture, the aboveground and underground dry biomass of maize in high Cu2+ concentration(600 mg·kg-1) were increased by 20% and 36.6%, respectively, under the intercropping system. However, Cu contents in the aboveground were reduced by 86.81%, 44.57%, 22.01% and 86.81%, but root Cu increased by 78.89%, 24.79%, 35.29% and 24.79% in 100, 200, 400 mg·kg-1 and 600 mg·kg-1 treatments, respectively, under the intercropping system, compared with the maize monoculture. Significant difference in plant Cu was present between intercropping and monoculture. The SOD, POD, CAT activities and MDA content in leaves and roots of maize all increased with increasing Cu2+ concentrations. But Cu2+ addition at 600 mg·kg-1 caused CAT activity decrease. Compared to the monoculture, SOD activity under maize-pea intercropping increased by 48.07%~117.27% in roots and 11.30%~46.90% in leaves. Cropping patterns had no significant effect on POD activity under the same Cu2+ stress. In 0~400 mg·kg-1 Cu stresses, CAT activities in maize leaves were significantly increased by 71.37%, 140.40%, 229.80% and 161.75% respectively under the intercropping over the monoculture, whereas no significant difference in the CAT activities in roots was observed between two cropping systems. The intercropping practice reduced MDA contents in maize roots by 26.13%~64.53%; while intercropping caused left MDA decline only at 100 mg Cu·kg-1 and 200 mg Cu·kg-1 but increased at 400 mg Cu·kg-1 and 600 mg Cu·kg-1, as compared with the monoculture. In summary, intercropping could improve antioxidant enzymatic system in maize roots and leaves and thus alleviate Cu toxicity under Cu2+ stresses.