Research Article Open Access

Cadmium as a Pollutant in Environment and Agriculture

Abstract

Contamination of soil by heavy metals (Cd) is of widespread occurrence as a result of human agriculture and industrial activities. Cd induced reduction in the number of flowers and in vitro pollen germination but did not affect pollen viability. However it stimulated tube growth, decreased number of ovules/pistil (ovules were morphologically normal and receptive), inhibited number of pods, seeds, seed weight/ plant and 100 seed weight. Cd treatment did not affect starch content but increase protein content in physiologically mature seed. Significant yield reduction was obtained only in Alfisol and Ultisol amended with higher rate of Cd- enriched sewage sludge/city compost. The amount of cadmium in leachates remained more or less similar to the original values. The applied Cd remains in the top 10 cm soil (87-96%) and this resulted in lower recovery of heavy metals in the leachates (Cd 8.3%).

Swati Gupta, Risikesh Thakur and Mamta Sahu

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