During the first phase, the plants are pre-cultivated under hydroponic conditions to enable adequate development of the aerial sections and roots, along with a planar and dense root mat.

During the second phase, the plants are exposed to soil for 8 days by placing the root mat in contact with a layer of soil a few millimetres thick. Some plants (aerial sections and roots) are harvested at the end of the two growing phases. The two parameters used to assess the phytoavailability of trace elements are:

• the concentration of trace elements in the aerial sections and roots of the plants,
• the flow of trace element take-up by the whole plant (aerial sections and roots).

For further information, contact Matthieu Bravin.