Screening of Maize Varieties with High Biomass and Low Accumulation of Pb and Cd around Lead and Zinc Smelting Enterprises: Field Experiment

Peiyi Zeng, Shujuan He, Liping He, Muqing Yang, Xian Zhu and Min Wu ()
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Peiyi Zeng: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Shujuan He: Yunan Research Academy of Eco-environmental Sciences, Kunming 650034, China
Liping He: Yunan Research Academy of Eco-environmental Sciences, Kunming 650034, China
Muqing Yang: Yunan Research Academy of Eco-environmental Sciences, Kunming 650034, China
Xian Zhu: Yunan Research Academy of Eco-environmental Sciences, Kunming 650034, China
Min Wu: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: In the long-term production process of lead and zinc smelting enterprises, atmospheric subsidence leads to the accumulation of heavy metals in surrounding farmland, which poses a serious threat to the growth of crops and food safety. Given the knowledge that heavy metal pollution in cultivated land does not support treatment and restoration, determining how to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products is the main problem facing the agricultural industry at present. Previous studies have mainly focused on the low accumulation of heavy metals in maize varieties, while the removal of heavy metals from soil through high biomass has been studied less. In order to identify the maize varieties that demonstrate high removal and low accumulation of heavy metals, 29 maize varieties were planted in soil contaminated with lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), and the growth status of the maize varieties and the absorption and transport of Pb and Cd by different tissues were studied. The results showed that heavy metals had the least effect on the growth of the Longhuangbai3, Jinqiuyu 35, Jinyi 418, and Qiuqing 88 varieties, and the content of Pb and Cd in maize varieties was in the order leaf > stem > root > grain. It was found that soil remediation and safe production can be taken into account in the results of the Qiuqing 88 (Pb, Cd), Fengdeng 2025 (Cd), and Yayu 719 (Pb, Cd) varieties. Moreover, the Xinzhongyu 801 (Cd) and Longdan 1701 (Pb) varieties demonstrated high metal accumulation in the edible part, which poses a potential risk to human health; thus, they are not recommended for local cultivation.

Keywords: heavy metals; high biomass; low accumulation; maize variety screening (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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