Effects of Inorganic and Organic Soil Amendments on Yield and Grain Cadmium Content of Wheat and Corn

Abstract

Abstract In China, reducing cadmium (Cd) content in wheat and corn grains is a public concern for food safety and security. Soil treatment using inorganic and organic amendments is considered as a cost-effective approach in immobilizing soil heavy metals and reducing metal uptake by crops. Greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of eight soil amendments on reduction of soil Cd bioavailability and grain Cd content in wheat and corn. Results showed that, in all cases, both soil available Cd and grain Cd were reduced by soil amendments. For the combination of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) and chicken manure at a high rate, soil available Cd decreased by 63% and 61% during wheat and corn season and grain Cd content by 75% and 74% in wheat and corn, respectively. In addition, all soil amendments resulted in higher grain yields for both crops. Soil treatment using a combination of KH2PO4 and chicken manure at a high rate was shown to be most effective for reducing grain Cd con...