Abstract
A successive 2-year (2019 and 2020) field experiment was conducted in northern Bangladesh (Rangpur district) to observe the status of soil quality and heavy metal risk due to tobacco cultivation in this area. Soil samples were collected randomly from four major sub-districts (Rangpur Sadar, Badargonj, Gangachara, and Mithapukur Upazila) where Mithapukur was a non-cultivating tobacco field and the rests were tobacco-growing fields. Along with heavy metal concentrations, physicochemical parameters were analyzed to observe the progressive change in the soil. Results depicted that values of bulk density, particle density, porosity, soil organic matter (SOM), and major nutrients (N, P, K, S) were decreased in the tobacco-growing field from 2019 to 2020, whereas significant improvement was observed in non-tobacco-growing field at successive year analysis. However, exchangeable bases were raised in the tobacco cultivated field from 40.86 to 52.98% compared to the non-tobacco cultivated field which was in a declining trend (43.66–34.33%). Overall, the soil pollution index depicted that Pb was shown a moderate risk of contamination in 2020. The ecological risk analysis also stated that the tobacco field in Rangpur Sadar was at a moderate risk of soil pollution (RI = 126.16), although the non-tobacco field in Mithapukur was at no risk of pollution (RI = 45.23). So, it can be recommended that tobacco cultivation harms the soil health, and thus, it should be prohibited from the agricultural field.
Highlights
The plant tobacco is cultivated natively in North and South America
A comparative research was conducted at tobacco-growing fields and seasonal crops growing field in Rangpur district to assess the impact of tobacco cultivation on soil health as well as analyze the ecological risk of heavy metals based on two successive years soil physicochemical and heavy metals loading data
Tobacco cultivation is a common practice in the study area that is increasing day by day and the fertile lands of this area are affected by the negative impact of frequent tobacco cultivation
Summary
The plant tobacco is cultivated natively in North and South America. The scientific name of the tobacco plant is Nicotiana tabacum or less widely used Nicotianna rustica [1]. Tobacco is an alien species in this area, and this non-local species adversely impacts on the habitats and bioregions environmentally or ecologically. They crumble up an agroecological system by forcing over other cultivated and uncultivated crops essential for the life and livelihood of a community [5]. A comparative research was conducted at tobacco-growing fields and seasonal crops growing field (noted as a non-tobacco field) in Rangpur district to assess the impact of tobacco cultivation on soil health as well as analyze the ecological risk of heavy metals based on two successive years soil physicochemical and heavy metals loading data
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