Cadmium, silicon and nutrient accumulation by maize plants grown on a contaminated soil amended with a diatomaceous Earth fertilizer

Autor: Josévaldo Ribeiro Silva, Venâncio de Lima Veloso, Fernando Bruno Vieira da Silva, Clístenes Williams Araújo do Nascimento
Jazyk: English<br />Portuguese
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Ciência Rural, Vol 51, Iss 2 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1678-4596
0103-8478
DOI: 10.1590/0103-8478cr20190804
Popis: ABSTRACT: Given that cadmium (Cd) poses high persistence in the environment and toxicity to humans, strategies to either decrease or avoid Cd entry in the trophic chain are fundamental to secure food safety. Here we assessed the effects of applying rates of Si as a diatomaceous Earth-based fertilizer on the amelioration of Cd toxicity towards maize plants grown on soil with or without pH correction. Besides determining Si and Cd concentrations, we also evaluated plant accumulation of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) as a function of Si doses applied to the soil. Results showed that both the Si application and the liming had a positive effect on biomass and nutrient uptake, but the Si effect on plants’ performance took place irrespectively to the soil pH. Silicon ameliorated Cd phytotoxicity in both limed and unlimed soils by decreasing Cd concentration in shoots and improving biomass yield and plant nutrition. Silicon alleviation of Cd-inhibitory effects on plants was more effective in the unlimed soil owing to the higher Cd availability in acidic soils. Also, taking into account the reduced transfer of Cd to shoots driven by Si, lower Cd accumulation in maize grains is likely, with implications to food safety. So, further studies on field conditions are warranted.
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