Pteris Vittata Inter-Planting for Trapping of Arsenic Accumulation into Potato

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to trap arsenic accumulation into potato plant by Pteris vittata inter-planting.Experiment consisted three different density of the trap plants viz. P0: No P. vittata (control); P4: four P. vittata plant per m 2 and P8: eight P. vittata plant per m 2 . Inter-planting of four P. vittata per m 2 reduced 95.94 % and eight P. vittata per m 2 reduced 97.01% arsenic accumulation into potato over control. Maximum yield was found from P4 (359.00 g/plant) which was statistically similar with P3 (343.80 g/plant) while minimum was found from P0 (316.50 g/plant). Highest amount of arsenic accumulation was found from P1 (No P. vittata interplanting) in potato tuber flesh (0.20 ppm), tuber peel (5.46 ppm) and plant body (43.74 ppm). P. vittata inter-planting (both P4 and P8) showed least arsenic accumulation in potato tuber flesh (0.01 and 0.02 ppm in P4 and P8 respectively), tuber peel (0.44 and 0.41 ppm in P4 and P8 respectively) and plant body (1.52 and 1.40 ppm in P4 and P8 respectively) over control. So it can be suggested that inter-planting of P. vittata can trap arsenic from soil to enter into food crops. Based on the findings of the current study it can be suggested to inter-plant four P. vittata per m 2 area.