Abstract. The aim of the study was to find out to what extent the cadmium contained in fertilizer influences the cadmium content of vegetables. For this purpose, highly cadmium-bearing batches of fertilizer were prepared from selected quantities of raw material with an exceptionally high cadmium content. To one such batch of fertilizer, an extra amount of cadmium was added at the mixing stage.In a two-year field experiment carried out in soil consisting of clayey fine sand and begun in 1977, 1 000 kg/ha of NPK fertilizer with a cadmium content of either 57 or 81 mg/kg brought about a clear increase in the cadmium content of radish tops. The cadmium content of radish roots, spinach and lettuce appeared likewise to rise, but the differences registered were not, owing to the unevenness of the field, significant. The cadmium content of the dry matter of rye grass was lower than that of the other experimental plants, and it appeared to rise less with an increase in the cadmium content of the fertilizer.Owing to the wide range of variation, the cadmium uptake of the experimental plants could not be determined reliably, The spinach, however, appeared to have taken up the largest amount of cadmium, and the rye grass the least amount. The increase in the cadmium content of the spinach harvested in 1978 corresponded to 1.5 0 / oo of the cadmium introduced into the ground during the two-year period through application of the fertilizer with the highest content of the metallic element.
In field trials in Vihti during the years 1968—1978 the average yield increase in winter wheat obtained with chemical Weed control was 439 kg/ha with a yield level of 3 704 kg/ha. The moisture content in percentages was 1.2 % lower in the sprayed plots than in the unsprayed plots. The number and the dry weight of weeds was greatly reduced by the spraying. The producer price for the wheat being at present 1 mk/kg, the value of the yield increase for the farmer is 439 mk/ha, whereas the decrease of the moisture content saves in drying costs 36 mk/ha. When the spraying costs estimated at 153 mk/ha have been deducted from these figures, the net return for the farmer is 322 mk/ha.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.