Abstract

Rosmarinus officinalis is an important aromatic shrub cultivated for medicinal, culinary, and ornamental uses. To assess growth, the contents of trace metals cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) and macronutrients calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) were measured in these plants cultivated on two substrates: pine bark (PB, pH 4.0, 80.5% organic matter) and pruning wastes-biosolids (BS, pH 6.9, 47.5% organic matter). These plants, initially of 3.5 +/- 0.5 g dry weight and 31.1 +/- 6.9 cm, were maintained under greenhouse conditions for 7 months. Nutrient solution samples were taken from each substrate in situ by rhizon probes, indicating that the concentrations of soluble Mn and Zn in PB were significantly greater than in the nutritive solution BS. At the end of the assay, the dry weight of leaves and height was significantly greater in plants cultivated in BS (40.0 +/- 2.2 g and 75.9 +/- 14.3 cm) than in PB (27.5 +/- 4.0 g and 62.4 +/- 10.2 cm). Plants cultivated in PB showed slight chlorosis, attributed to the high concentration of Mn in leaves (106.6 +/- 7.8 mg kg(-1)), which was much greater than in plants cultivated in BS (8.2 +/- 0.9 mg kg(-1)). The concentration of toxic metals Cd and Pb in plants cultivated on both substrates did not exceed the recommended levels for consumption of the leaves as condiment. If R. officinalis is cultivated on the substrate of pine bark to acid pH for food or medicinal use, the accumulation of Mn must be considered.