LNFLUENCE OF BIOCHAR ON VEGETABLE (Amaranthus viridis) UPTAKE ON CADMIUM CONTAMINATED SOIL

 ABSTRACT

Cadmium (Cd) is a common  environmental contaminant found in soils. Unlike other metals. Cd has no biological role, and is potentially toxic to microorganisms. The concentrations of cadmium in agricultural soils depend upon the amounts present in the parent rocks from which the soils form, the amounts added in the form of fertilizers and soil amendments, the amounts deposited onto soils from the atmosphere, and the amounts removed by harvested crops and by leaching. Its aim was to know the influence of different biochar on the contaminated soil and the ability to immobilize heavy metal in soil. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized design (CRD) with 3 replications in a screen house. The two biochar feedstock used were Oil seed rape and Soft wood Pellet at different levels of 1% and 3%. The soils were spiked with 10 mg/kg of CdCl2 solution and then individually amended by independently mixing the OSR BC-700 and SWP BC-700 at 1% and 3% levels to tile polluted soil in triplicates. The transfer factor obtained showed that vegetables separated into roots and shoots had high concentration of the metal. OSR BC-700 showed great potential to reduce uptake of Cadmium into Plant tissues compared to SWP BC-700 and control due to higher pH and P levels. OSR BC-700 (1%) showed to be more effective to immobilize the level of cadmium uptake and its effect is said to improve the physio-chemical properties of the soil.