Effect of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn on growth and chemical composition of onion and fenugreek

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Abstract
Onion (Allium cepa) and fenugreek (Trigonella poenum‐graceum) growth was measured in glasshouse on a slightly alkaline clay‐loam soil from Northern India. Cadmium, Ni, Pb and Zn were applied at the rate of 0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of soil. The fresh and dry weights of onion and fenugreek were drastically reduced even at the 50 mg/kg soil addition of Cd and decreased further at higher applied levels. There was a slight decrease in the yield of both of the vegetables at 50 mg Ni/kg soil but at 100 mg Ni/kg soil and above yield decrease was significant. No growth was observed at 400 mg Ni/kg soil. The application of 50 mg Zn/kg soil slightly increased the yield of both of the vegetables, but the yield decreased at higher levels of applied Zn and more so for fenugreek. The threshold concentration, toxicity index and loading rate to produce ten percent yield reduction were also calculated. These values suggested that the toxicity of heavy metals varied with crop species. The concentrations of the elements in onion bulb and fenugreek root and leaves increased linearally with increasing levels of applied elements. The uptake of Zn was highest, followed by Cd, Ni and then Pb. The roots accumulated higher amounts of these elements than the leaves. Tissue concentrations of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn associated with ten percent yield reduction for onion were 6, 3.2, 8 and 75 ppm, respectively, and for fenugreek, the concentrations were 1.5, 7.8, 11.5 and 54.5 ppm, respectively. In general, phytotoxicities were found to be in the order: Cd > Ni > Pb > Zn. The DTPA extractable elements in soil, after the harvest of crops, increased with increasing levels of applied elements in soil.