The role of tillage systems on the presence of heavy metals in corn grains

Abstract

The contamination of heavy metal influences in different environmental as it is in soil, water and plant, as has been presented in the region of the Mezquital Valley, state of Hidalgo, where for more than 100 years it has been used the wastewater from the metropolitan area of Mexico City (ZMCM) for agricultural purposes; where the uptake of heavy metals by plants is usually the first step for entry into the food chain as a result of conventional agriculture. The present research work was aimed to evaluate the concentration of lead, cadmium and chromium in corn grain produced in the Mezquital Valley, by the different tillage systems and residue management with the aim of identifying the best system of agricultural production. Using an experimental design of randomized blocks with two replications and a test of means (Tukey, p>0.05), it becomes an invitation to producers in the region to change the traditional system applied by implement a rotation of corn with oats, in zero tillage with stubble on the surface (MA, CL, D); still this treatment is the ideal to ensure minimal concentrations of heavy metals in the grain of corn.