Effect of heavy metals on soil fertility and crop yields

Abstract

One of the important tasks of modern agroecology is the study of the patterns of circulation in the biosphere of chemical elements that are regulators of biological processes. The goal – is to determine the quantitative and qualitative effect of heavy metals in soil on crop yields and beneficial properties of products obtained. At the same time, it was found that soil contaminated with heavy metals not only worsens the quality of products and food, but also reduces cadastral value of land. Methods – economic and statistical in analysis and assessment of the current state, abstract and logical, used to identify industry and regional characteristics. Results – urgent problem of degradation of agricultural lands, their desertification in the Republic of Kazakhstan is considered. The conducted research shows that the content of lead and arsenic corresponds to the norm, and cadmium and mercury exceed the normative indicators and do not meet food safety requirements. Conclusions – heavy metals lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic are toxic even in very low concentrations. Heavy metals enter agricultural lands from mineral fertilizers and plant protection products. It is generally accepted that their effect is negative if the yield is significantly reduced by 10% or more. It is necessary to carry out a detailed survey of the sphere of agricultural production on contaminated soils. It is practically impossible to reduce total concentration of heavy metals in unproductive arable land, but it is possible to significantly reduce their mobility and make them less accessible to plants, reduce accumulation of toxic substances in their biomass, improve the quality of land plots and, accordingly, their cadastral price.