Ultra-diluted Solutions of Nux vomica in the Remediation of Metals in Soils and Bioavailability for Soybeans

Affonso C Gonçalves Jr,Marcelo G Santos,Juliano Zimmermann,José R Stangarlin,Jéssica Manfrin,Marcelo A Campagnolo,Andreia P Schiller,Elio Conradi Junior,Edmar S Vasconcelos,Daniel Schwantes

doi:10.5539/jas.v11n2p180

Affonso C Gonçalves Jr, Marcelo G Santos + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5539/jas.v11n2p180

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the homeopathic medicine Nux vomica in the remediation of soils contaminated with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) and the bioavailability of these metals in soybean plants. To this end the soil was contaminated prior to sowing, using CdCl2H2O and PbCl2 salts in three rates, based on the resolution of the research values of resolution No. 420 of CONAMA, resulting in 0.0, 3.0 and 9.0 mg kg-1 for Cd and 89.0, 180.0 and 540.0 mg kg-1 for Pb. The homeopathic remedy Nux vomica was used in dynamizations 12, 24, 48, 96, 200 and 400 CH (Centesimal Hanhemannian), being the witness with distilled water. Medicines were applied to the soil seven days before sowing and after sowing, every 14 days applied in the plant until complete the cycle. During cultivation were evaluated development, gas exchange, nutrient composition, component production and bioavailability of metals in the plant. The results demonstrate that Nux vomica medicine interfered in height and stem diameter and CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance and transpiration of soybean plants, but did not affect the bioavailability of metals to plants.

Highlights

The high technology agriculture used for the development of Brazil's agricultural system has its methods questioned by the fact that to increase productivity is needed increasing amounts of pesticides and fertilizers
An attractive alternative which has been widespread among farmers is homeopathy, which in Brazil is regulated by Normative Instruction No 46, of October 6, 2011 (Brazil, 2011), allowing organic farmers to use homeopathic medicines to treat plants, animals, soil and water
The contamination of soil were realized from the addition of metal solutions prepared with Cd salts [monohydrate cadmium chloride (CdCl2H2O)] and Pb [lead chloride II (PbCl2)], with rates based on research values, specific to agricultural areas of Resolution No 420 of CONAMA (Brazil, 2009)

Summary

Introduction

The high technology agriculture used for the development of Brazil's agricultural system has its methods questioned by the fact that to increase productivity is needed increasing amounts of pesticides and fertilizers. Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) deserve attention because their use by modern society is growing, their toxicity levels are too high, are bioaccumulative and eco-toxic elements, being dangerous to the environment and people (Gonçalves Jr. et al, 2014). Once present in soils are needed methods of remediation of metals, most of the time, these methods are costly and/or inefficient (Cheng et al, 2015). In this context, an attractive alternative which has been widespread among farmers is homeopathy, which in Brazil is regulated by Normative Instruction No 46, of October 6, 2011 (Brazil, 2011), allowing organic farmers to use homeopathic medicines to treat plants, animals, soil and water. The therapeutic system developed by Samuel Hahnemann in homeopathy has as guiding pillars the principles of similitude, experimentation in healthy individual, the unique medication and minimum rates, principles which cause great furor in academic circles because start from the assumption that only one substance potential to cause disturbance in health is able to heal similar disorder in sick individual and, following this premise, all the revolutionary treatment involving homeopathy is developed (Tétau, 2001)

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