Abstract
The interaction between different elements is an efficient means to control the heavy metal accumulation in crops. Phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn), as essential nutrient elements of plants, have been shown to have important impacts on cadmium (Cd) accumulation in crops through interactions with each other. However, the function of the simultaneous interaction of P, Zn, and Cd on vegetable growth and Cd accumulation remains unclear. Herein, using a single-factor level design with two alternating fixed factors, pot experiments were conducted to study the impact and mechanism of this simultaneous interaction at different levels of P, Zn, and Cd on Brassica campestris L. growth, antioxidant enzyme activity, and Zn and Cd accumulation with neutral purple soil as the substrate. The results showed that the addition of an appropriate amount of P and Zn could promote the growth of Brassica campestris L. and inhibit its Cd accumulation, through different mechanisms. P mainly reduced the Cd availability in soil and improved the crop resistance, whereas Zn mainly promoted the dilution effect by the crop growth and its physiological antagonism. The antioxidant capacity of Brassica campestris L. was significantly inhibited when 1 mg·kg-1 exogenous Cd was added to the soil, along with decreased activities of CAT and POD and high accumulation of MDA. Notably, both P and Zn could improve the antioxidant capacity and relieve Cd toxicity by increasing CAT activity, without obviously influencing POD activity. The highest yield of Brassica campestris L. (55.72 g·pot-1) was attained when the ratio of stress concentration for exogenous P, Zn, and Cd[ω(Cd):ω(Zn):ω(P)] was 1:10:200. Furthermore, the Cd content in the edible part was also lower than the national standard requirement of 50 μg·kg-1for Cd in green leafy vegetables (GB 2762-2017). In addition, the accumulation of Cd was further decreased when the proportion of P and Zn was increased, along with a decreased yield of the vegetable. Therefore, a proper application of P and Zn fertilizers could simultaneously reduce Cd accumulation and increase crop yield and thus contribute to achieving safe vegetable production.
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