Abstract
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important crop in Egypt with great trade value for the export market. The addition of agrochemicals with possibly containing heavy metals, such as cadmium (Cd), decreases the quality of the final product. Generally, little is known about the factors that influence Cd content in this crop. The current study estimated the Cd levels in different organs of three potato cultivars grown in four commercial regions across Egypt. Further, we investigated the soil properties that affected Cd uptake during two growing seasons. With the exception of the Cd content of the soils, no relationships were detected between the tested soil properties (i.e., pH, conductivity, organic matter, and clay content) and Cd content in potato organs, because the soil from different regions showed comparable levels for these parameters. The average Cd content in the peeled tubers among different cultivars (0.145 mg Kg−1 DW) was below the maximum limit (0.5 mg Kg−1 DW). The patterns of Cd accumulation in potato organs were constant among cultivars, with the highest levels detected in leaves (~82%), followed by stems (~16.5%), and the lowest content observed in tubers (~1.5%). The study showed that the tested potato cultivars exhibited diversity in the accumulation levels of Cd in the tubers (~2.6-fold). The cultivar Suntana displayed the lowest Cd levels among different field sites for the two growing seasons, suggesting the potential involvement of genetic factors.
Highlights
Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal with adverse impacts on human health
The concentrations of soil Cd, observed in the current study, were quite similar to the values that were collected by Naggar et al [25] but greater than those shown by Nassef et al [26] and Abou-Shanab et al [27] for the Egyptian soils
Our results demonstrated that the Spounta cultivar had the highest Cd contents for all potato organs, followed by the Hermes cultivar, and the Suntana cultivar with some exceptions
Summary
Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal with adverse impacts on human health. One of the primary sources of Cd intake for humans is the consumption of crops containing Cd [1,2,3]. Cadmium accumulation in crops has been a major concern worldwide due to the potential health risks of accessing the human diet and/or trade risks where crop standards are not fitted. With rice and wheat, potato is an important food crop and a significant source of Cd [3]. Reduced levels of Cd in potatoes are important for its quality. Fan et al [2] demonstrated that the potato plant accumulates Cd that may exceed the recommended level for human consumption without negatively affecting plant growth
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