Experiments were conducted to evaluate the plant tolerance to Fe and its phytotranslocation by Jatropha curcas L. from an
iron rich wasteland soil. The soil was collected from wasteland soil (WLS) of a small town Sandila, (Hardoi, U.P.) India, and
three Jatropha clones were cultivated in WLS amended or not with sand or cowdung in a ratio of 3:2. The WLS had high pH,
elevated electric conductivity (EC) and was rich in organic carbon and total NPK. Iron and Mn were 2-3 folds higher than
that in the normal field soil. Net root and shoot elongation as well as fresh and dry biomass of the plants were only slightly
affected at 100 d in WLS as compared with that grown in non-polluted soil. Tolerance index (TI) of J. curcas was significantly
higher in cowdung amended WLS in comparison to that in WLS, or WLS amended with sand. Translocation factor (TF) from
the soil to plants for Fe was significantly higher in WLS than that in the normal field soil. Bio-concentration factor (BCF) and
concentration index (CI) for Fe were 0.12 to 0.37, 1.0 to 6.2 respectively. The results indicate that Jatropha plantation is
suitable for phytoremediation of Fe-contaminate wasteland soils, and also that these polluted fields could be used to cultivate
this important biodiesel plant species.
