Heavy metals in soil, finger millet and weeds due to nutrient management practices under a 43-year-old long term fertilizer experiment

Abstract

Chemical fertilizers contain traces of heavy metals and long-term use of fertilizers in agriculture could lead to the accumulation of heavy metals in the soil. Specific amounts of fertilizers and manure have been consistently applied for the past 43 years. Soil and plant samples were collected and quantified for heavy metals. The results revealed that the application of FYM and inorganic fertilizers led to a higher concentration of heavy metals in surface soil and decreased with soil depth. The application of 100% RDF resulted in higher concentrations of metals in samples of finger millet and all the heavy metals were below toxic limits. The PLI of heavy metals was found to have a value <10, indicating that soils are less polluted. Cd and Pb had BCF values of <1 for grain and straw, which indicates a lower concentration of metals in soil than those taken up by plants, while >1 for As and Cr indicates a higher uptake in grain and straw than in soil.