Effect of fertilizers, lime and cadmium added to soil on the cadmium content of spring wheat

Authors

• Antti Jaakkola Agricultural Research Centre, Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Physics 01300 Vantaa 30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71954

Abstract

In a pot experiment the cadmium content of wheat grain grown on acid (pHCCaCl2 5.5) loam and clay soils was increased from 55 to 440-540 µg/kg by addition of 1 mg of cadmium per kg of soil. Raising of NPK fertilization increased the cadmium content of grain in general. The effect of liming varied. In field experiments the cadmium contents of wheat grain and straw were increased by cadmium addition on loam much more than on clay. Wheat grown on the loam suffered from severe drought. Cadmium application of 100 g/ha raised the cadmium contents in grain 10—60 and in straw 10—90 µg/kg. The contents were initially in the range 39—69 µg/kg. In an experiment in which fertilizers with various cadmium contents because of different raw materials were compared, not even the highest addition of cadmium, 49 g/ha, caused a significant change in the cadmium contents of grain or straw.