Yielding and Bioaccumulation of Zinc by Cocksfoot under Conditions of Different Doses of This Metal and Organic Fertilization

Abstract

Zinc is essential for the growth and development of plants, but in excessive amounts in the soil it can be toxic for them. Its mobility depends in part on the organic matter content of the soil. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of application of increasing amounts of zinc (200, 400 and 600 mg Zn·kg−1 of soil) together with various forms of organic fertilizer (cattle manure, chicken manure and spent mushroom substrate) on the yield of cocksfoot and the content and uptake of this metal, and to determine its bioaccumulation factor and tolerance indices. A minor effect of zinc on cocksfoot, expressed as a decrease in yield, was observed following the application of 400 mg Zn·kg−1 of soil. Increasing application to 600 mg Zn·kg−1 caused a significant decrease in yield. Application of 400 and 600 mg Zn·kg−1 of soil significantly reduced the value of the Zn/Org tolerance index. Increasing levels of zinc application increased its content and uptake by cocksfoot and reduced the bioaccumulation factor in the plants. All of the organic materials applied increased the yield of cocksfoot and its uptake of zinc. Spent mushroom substrate increased the Zn/Org tolerance index, while cattle manure and chicken manure increased the Org/Zn tolerance index, which confirms their protective action against high zinc content in the soil.

The Content, Uptake and Bioaccumulation Factor of Copper and Nickel in Grass Depending on Zinc Application and Organic Fertilization

“…The correlation coefficients showed no clear effect of increasing Zn application (200, 400 and 600 Zn mg•kg −1 ) on the content and uptake of Cu and Ni by grass (Table 8). They also showed no significant relationship between the content of these two metals and the content of Zn in the grass given by Kuziemska et al [48]. At the same time, they indicated The correlation coefficients showed no clear effect of increasing Zn application (200, 400 and 600 Zn mg•kg −1 ) on the content and uptake of Cu and Ni by grass (Table 8).…”

Effect of increasing doses of zinc in combination with organic materials on the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in the soil

“…When they occur in high concentrations in the soil environment, they affect the deterioration of the chemical properties of the soil, and also reduce the number and activity of microorganisms living in it [Tscherko et al 2007, Lenart and Wolny-Koładka 2013, Briffa et al 2020, Kuziemska et al 2020. According to the research conducted by Kwiatkowska-Malina [2017] and Kuziemska et al [2022], increasing organic matter content in soil is one of the factors decreasing the mobility of heavy metals, and thus decreasing their bioavailability.…”

“…In each year of the experiment, the test plant was cocksfoot of the Amera variety (Dactylis glomerata L.). During the growing season, the above-ground parts of the plant were harvested four times, every 30 days [Kuziemska et al 2022].…”

“…Zinc is a heavy metal whose soil content depends mainly on its amount in soil parent material and on anthropogenic factors; its soil content depends on its amounts absorbed by clay minerals and bound by organic matter [Sadeghzadeh 2013, Recena et al 2021, Kuziemska et al 2022. Zinc is a microelement that is needed by the plant for their proper growth and development, it is present in enzymes, affects the transformation of calcium and phosphorus, as well as the production of chlorophyll.…”

“…However, its mobility and thus toxicity can be reduced by increasing soil organic matter content. Organic fertilizer and organic waste used as fertilizer are the main source of soil organic matter [Kwiatkowska-Malina 2017, Majchrowska-Safaryan et al 2018, Kuziemska et al 2022.…”