Can Hairy Vetch Cover Crop Affects Arsenic Accumulation in Vegetable Crops?

Roberto Mancinelli,Ilenia Bravo,Emanuele Radicetti,Sara Marinari,Rosario Muleo,Patrizia Papetti

doi:10.3390/agriculture9050089

Roberto Mancinelli, Ilenia Bravo + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture9050089

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Abstract

Agricultural practices greatly influence the bioavailability of heavy metals. Arsenic (As) is a heavy metal identified as a concern due to its potential impact on human health. Two-year field experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of cropping system on As accumulation in tomato, sweet pepper and zucchini. The treatments were: (i) conventional system based on common practices of the area; and (ii) alternative systems based on cultivation of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) in no-tillage before vegetable crops. Randomized block design with three replications was adopted. Soil and plant samples (fruits, leaves, stems and roots) were collected at crop harvesting. Plant samples were weighed and analyzed to evaluate As content. Soil chemical analyses were performed to evaluate the total organic carbon and nitrogen content. The As accumulation observed in plant samples of tomato, sweet pepper and zucchini resulted always low in the alternative system, except in fruits where As accumulation was similar between the systems. The increase of soil organic matter observed in alternative system probably caused a reduction of As accumulation into crop tissues. Therefore, hairy vetch cultivation in no-tillage could be a suitable strategy to reduce the As uptake of vegetable crops in geogenic contaminated soils.

Highlights

Soil contamination by heavy metals represents an increasing problem since human activities and/or natural processes may strongly affect their transferring in the foods and groundwater [1]
The main aims of this study were: (i) to establish whether hairy vetch and its residues left on the soil surface as organic dead mulch affect the soil organic matter in a naturally As contaminated area; (ii) to verify whether the agronomic techniques and soil organic matter affect the As accumulation into tomato, sweet pepper and zucchini grown on geogenic contaminated soils; and (iii) to understand how the adsorbed As is translocated to the plant tissues
The present study focuses on the growth period of three different summer vegetable crops cultivated after winter soil management

Summary

Introduction

Soil contamination by heavy metals represents an increasing problem since human activities and/or natural processes may strongly affect their transferring in the foods and groundwater [1]. Arsenic (As) is identified as a concern due to its potential impact on the environment and human health. As observed in many areas around the world the As concentration in soil greatly varied among the areas reaching high concentration (above 50.0 mg kg−1 ) in soil and water [2]. It is well known that high As concentration in the soil produce plants with increased As content, even if the distribution of As in the plants greatly varies among the different plant organs generally showing lower values in seeds and fruits compared to leaves, stems and roots [2].

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