Lead tolerance and accumulation characteristics of Cubana Kordes rose in lead-contaminated soil

This study was conducted to determine lead tolerance and accumulation characteristics of Cubana Kordes rose, which is used in landscaping studies in areas with heavy traffic. In the study, 0%, 3%, and 6% leonardite was added to the sand growing medium, and Pb was applied at different doses (0, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 mg Pb kg(-1)). At the end of the experiment, the effect of Pb application on plant physiological properties was not statistically significant. The Pb concentration of flower and stem was between 4.50 and 8.92 mg kg(-1) and 8.47 and 543.25 mg kg(-1), respectively. The Pb concentration in the stem increased with an increase in the dose of Pb. The Pb concentration in the root was between 4.00 and 50.35 mg kg(-1) and increased with an increase in the dose of Pb (p < 0.05). The available Pb concentration in the soil varied between 0.05 and 448.79 mg kg(-1). The transfer factor value varied between 1.84 and 18.73 and the bioaccumulation factor value ranged between 0.00 and 10.46. The amount of Pb removed from the soil by the stem was between 124.7 and 8346.6 mu g kg(-1). From the results, we determined that Pb accumulated at a higher rate in the stem than in the root and the flower of Cubana Kordes roses. We found that these roses could tolerate the accumulation of Pb, and hence, they have a great potential to be used in the remediation of soil contaminated by Pb.