Abstract: A pot experiment in greenhouse was conducted to investigate the effects of maizerape intercropping on dry matter accumulation and cadmium (Cd) uptake of maize during its vegetative growth stage under addition of four levels of Cd (0, 2, 5, and 10 mg·kg^-1, denoted as Cd0, Cd2, Cd5, and Cd10, respectively). The results showed that the growth of maize was promoted by the maizerape intercropping except for Cd2 treatment, and the dry matter weight of intercropped maize (Cd0, Cd5, Cd10) was 19%-50% higher than that of monoculture (P<0.05). Cd contents in different organs of maize showed a gradually increasing trend with the increase of Cd concentration in soil. Compared to monoculture, Cd transferring from root to shoot, especially to leaves of the maize, decreased in the maizerape intercropping under lower or medium level of Cd pollution. Under Cd2 treatment, the Cd content in intercropped maize roots had no difference with monoculture, while the Cd content in intercropped maize leaves was 40% lower than that of monoculture (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the Cd content of Cd5 was 25% higher than that of monoculture (P<0.05), but no significant difference of Cd content in maize leaves was found between intercropping and monoculture, and the Cd content in maize shoot under Cd2 and Cd5 treatments had no significant difference between intercropping and monoculture. Under Cd10 treatment, Cd uptake was promoted by maizerape intercropping, where the Cd content in maize root had no significant difference between intercropping and monoculture, while the Cd content in maize shoot and leaves were increased by 17% and 33% (P<0.05) under intercropping. In addition, maize-rape intercropping had no obvious effect on Cd accumulation of maize plant in Cd0, Cd2 and Cd5 treatments whereas the Cd accumulation of maize plant under Cd10 treatment increased by 61% (P<0.05). Therefore, maize-rape intercropping had obvious blocking effect on Cd absorption and accumulation of maize under the low or medium levels of Cd pollution, and thus, maize-rape intercropping is an ideal pattern to achieve safe and high quality cultivation for maize in Cd mildly polluted soil.

Key words: re-vegetation, purple soils, Hengyang., functional diversity, microbial community