From Laboratory Screening to a Site-Specific Pilot Field Assessment: Performance of Brassica oleracea var. acephala ‘Pigeon’ on Mining-Impacted Soils

Mining-affected soils differ markedly in their physicochemical properties and metal loads, complicating the selection of plant material for phytoremediation. This study evaluated Brassica oleracea var. acephala ‘Pigeon’ growth across 14 mining-affected soils and a growth reference commercial substrate, followed by a site-specific pilot field assessment on a selected multi-metal-contaminated soil from Cavnic, Romania. Plant establishment, vegetative performance, pooled plant mass, and metal partitioning were assessed under controlled and field conditions. Plant responses varied strongly among soils, and final germination at 30 days after sowing did not reliably predict subsequent vegetative performance. On the selected Cavnic soil, establishment was lower in the field than under controlled conditions, whereas plants that established in situ attained greater final size. Within the seven selected field-grown plants, root-associated concentrations exceeded aboveground concentrations for Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mn. The results show that multi-soil laboratory screening and field assessment capture complementary biological components of plant performance.