Influence of compost from fish by-products on nutrient supply in radish

Abstract

The interest in the subject of trace element concentrations and their behaviour in the environment is increasing, therefore investigations focused at determining abilities for harmful metals accumulation in plants growing on soil permanently or freshly polluted with heavy metals, contribute to development of this area of research. The paper aimed at an assessment of yielding and accumulation of zinc in buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivated on soils at various times polluted with this metal. Much lower yields of buckwheat and sunflower were obtained on light soils, irrespective of supplementary mineral fertilization or the level and date of soil pollution with heavy metals. A toxic effect of heavy metals “freshly” applied to the soil was visible only on light soil, additionally fertilized with NPK. Plants cultivated on soils with higher content of these metals usually accumulated at least several times higher amounts of zinc, both in their shoots and roots. Additional NPK fertilization often increased Zn content. The largest amounts of zinc were absorbed by plants from light soils freshly and permanently polluted with heavy metals, on which additional mineral (NPK) fertilization was applied, and next from medium soil, freshly polluted with heavy metals and fertilized with NPK.