Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T23:03:40.692Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Accumulation of essential mineral and toxic trace elements in crops and soils of vegetable cropping systems in central highlands of Sri Lanka

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2022

L. D. B. Suriyagoda*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
O. Dissanayake
Affiliation:
National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Hanthana, Kandy, Sri Lanka
V. Kodithuwakku
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
I. Maduwanthi
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
N. Dissanayaka
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
R. Chandrajith
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya 20400, Sri Lanka
*
Author for correspondence: L. D. B. Suriyagoda, E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Vegetables are widely cultivated in high rainfall and mountainous regions in Sri Lanka with poor soil conservation practices. Accumulation of essential mineral and toxic trace elements in the soils and widely cultivated vegetables of this region are poorly understood. One hundred soil and vegetable (i.e. cabbage, carrot and potato) samples were collected at the time of harvest and analysed for element concentrations. Soils contained high concentrations of essential mineral (N, P, K, Cu, Zn and Mn) and toxic trace elements (As, Cd and Pb). When comparing edible parts, cabbage contained the highest concentrations of mineral and toxic trace elements, and potato contained the lowest. Irrespective of the crop, edible parts contained high concentrations of N, P, K (14–35, 2–6, 15–24 g/kg, respectively), and Cu, Zn, Mn (2.5–6.7, 11–30, 8–147 mg/kg, respectively). Vegetables also contained As, Cd and Pb (0.04–1, 0.02–0.15, 0.02–0.26 mg/kg, respectively), but did not exceed the maximum permissible limits. Irrespective of the crop, 36–64 kg N, 6–11 kg P and 35–45 kg K per ha were removed with the harvest. According to the current rate of vegetable consumption by Sri Lankans (i.e. 240 g fresh weight (FW) per day), per capita consumption of 0.05–0.2 mg Cu, 0.45–0.65 mg Zn and 0.5–2 mg Mn per day through these vegetables was observed, i.e. 5–23% Cu, 7.5–11% Zn and 22–87% Mn of the recommended daily intake. Vegetables grown in the region served as a key source of essential mineral elements. However, agronomic mitigation strategies are needed to improve soil health and sustainability of these cropping systems.

Type
Crops and Soils Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abeywickrama, HM, Koyama, Y, Uchiyama, M, Shimizu, U, Iwasa, Y, Yamada, E, Ohashi, K and Mitobe, Y (2018) Micronutrient status in Sri Lanka: a review. Nutrients 10, 1583.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adams, F, Burmester, C, Hue, NV and Long, FL (1980) A comparison of column-displacement and centrifuge methods for obtaining soil solutions. Soil Science Society of America Journal 44, 733735.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
AgStat (2020) Social Economic and Planning Center. Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Department of Agriculture. Available at http://doa.gov.lk/SEPC/images/PDF/AgStat2020.pdf.Google Scholar
Akhtar, S, Ismail, T, Atukorala, S and Arlappa, N (2013) Micronutrient deficiencies in South Asia, current status and strategies. Trends in Food Science and Technology 31, 5562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ali, M and Tsou, SCS (1997) Combating micronutrient deficiencies through vegetables – a neglected food frontier in Asia. Food Policy 22, 1738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, JM and Ingram, JSI (1993) Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility: A Handbook of Methods, 2nd Edn. Wallingford: CAB International.Google Scholar
Bandara, JM, Wijewardena, HV and Seneviratne, HM (2010) Remediation of cadmium contaminated irrigation and drinking water: a large scale approach. Toxicology Letters 198, 8992.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bártová, V, Diviš, J, Bárta, J, Brabcová, A and Švajnerová, M (2013) Variation of nitrogenous components in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers produced under organic and conventional crop management. European Journal of Agronomy 49, 2031.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dandeniya, WS and Caucci, S (2020) Composting in Sri Lanka: policies, practices, challenges, and emerging concerns. In Hettiarachchi, H, Caucci, S and Schwärzel, K (eds), Organic Waste Composting through Nexus Thinking: Practices, Policies, and Trends. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 6189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dissanayake, CB and Chandrajith, R (2009) Phosphate mineral fertilizers, trace metals and human health. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka 37, 153165.Google Scholar
Diyabalanage, S, Samarakoon, KK, Adikari, SB and Hewawasam, T (2017) Impact of soil and water conservation measures on soil erosion rate and sediment yields in a tropical watershed in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. Applied Geography 79, 103114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dizon, F, Herforth, A and Wang, Z (2019) The cost of a nutritious diet in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Global Food Security 21, 3851.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DOA (2003) Agro-Ecological Regions of Sri Lanka. Colombo, Sri Lanka: State Printing Corporation.Google Scholar
Dobosy, P, Endrédi, A, Sandil, S, Vetési, V, Rékási, M, Takács, T and Záray, G (2020) Biofortification of potato and carrot with iodine by applying different soils and irrigation with iodine-containing water. Frontiers in Plant Science 11, 593047. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.593047.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
EU (2006) Setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Union 364, 524. https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/chemical_safety/contaminants/legislation_en.Google Scholar
FAO/WHO (2001) Human Vitamin and Mineral Requirements. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization.Google Scholar
FAO/WHO (2019) CODEX Alimentarius, International Food Standards. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization.Google Scholar
GAIN (2014) China's Maximum Levels for Contaminants in Foods. Global Agricultural Information Network Report CH14058, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Available at https://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%2GAIN Publications/Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods _Beijing_China Peoples Republic of_12-11-2014.pdf [Accessed 28 February 2021].Google Scholar
Houba, VJG, Temminghoff, EJM, Gaikhorst, GA and van Vark, W (2000) Soil analysis procedures using 0.01 m calcium chloride as extraction reagent. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 31, 12991396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
IMNA (2001) Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine of The National Academies (IMNA), National Academies Press (US).Google Scholar
Jayasumana, C, Fonseka, S, Fernando, A, Jayalath, K, Amarasinghe, M, Siribaddana, S, Gunatilake, S and Paranagama, P (2015) Phosphate fertilizer is a main source of arsenic in areas affected with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka. SpringerPlus 4, 90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jayawardena, R, Jeyakumar, DT, Gamage, M, Sooriyaarachchi, P and Hills, AP (2020) Fruit and vegetable consumption among South Asians: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome 14, 17911800.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ju, XT, Kou, CL, Christie, P, Dou, ZX and Zhang, FS (2007) Changes in the soil environment from excessive application of fertilizers and manures to two contrasting intensive cropping systems on the North China Plain. Environmental Pollution 145, 497506.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kananke, T, Wansapala, J and Gunaratne, A (2014) Heavy metal contamination in green leafy vegetables collected from selected market sites of Piliyandala area, Colombo district, Sri Lanka. American Journal of Food Science and Technology 2, 139144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kananke, T, Wansapala, J and Gunaratne, A (2016) Assessment of heavy metals in Mukunuwenna (Alternanthera sessilis) collected from production and market sites in and around Colombo district, Sri Lanka. Procedia Food Science 6, 194198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kanungsukkasem, U, Ng, N, Van Minh, H, Razzaque, A, Ashraf, A, Juvekar, S, Masud Ahmed, S and Huu Bich, T (2009) Fruit and vegetable consumption in rural adults population in INDEPTH HDSS sites in Asia. Global Health Action 2, 1988.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Khai, NM, Ha, PQ and Öborn, I (2007) Nutrient flows in small-scale peri-urban vegetable farming systems in Southeast Asia – a case study in Hanoi. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 122, 192202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khan, A, Khan, S, Khan, MA, Qamar, Z and Waqas, M (2015) The uptake and bioaccumulation of heavy metals by food plants, their effects on plants nutrients, and associated health risk: a review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International 22, 1377213799.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiziloglu, FM, Turan, M, Sahin, U, Kuslu, Y and Dursun, A (2008) Effects of untreated and treated wastewater irrigation on some chemical properties of cauliflower (Brassica olerecea L. var. botrytis) and red cabbage (Brassica olerecea L. var. rubra) grown on calcareous soil in Turkey. Agricultural Water Management 95, 716724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kobierski, M, Lemanowicz, J, Wojewódzki, P and Kondratowicz-Maciejewska, K (2020) The effect of organic and conventional farming systems with different tillage on soil properties and enzymatic activity. Agronomy 10, 1809.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ladha, JK, Pathak, H, Krupnik, TJ, Six, J and van Kessel, C (2005) Efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen in cereal production: retrospects and prospects. Advances in Agronomy 87, 85156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liang, K, Jiang, Y, Nyiraneza, J, Fuller, K, Murnaghan, D and Meng, F-R (2019) Nitrogen dynamics and leaching potential under conventional and alternative potato rotations in Atlantic Canada. Field Crops Research 242, 107603.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liyanage, CE, Thabrew, MI and Kuruppuarachchi, DSP (2000) Nitrate pollution in ground water of Kalpitiya: an evaluation of the content of nitrates in the water and food items cultivated in the area. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka 28, 101112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mapa, RB (2020) The Soils of Sri Lanka. Switzerland: Springer Nature, Cham.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olsen, S, Cole, C, Watanabe, F and Dean, L (1954) Estimation of Available Phosphorus in Soils by Extraction with Sodium Bicarbonate. Washington, DC: USDA Circular Nr 939. US Gov. Print. Office.Google Scholar
Parpia, AS, L'Abbé, M, Goldstein, M, Arcand, J, Magnuson, B and Darling, PB (2018) The impact of additives on the phosphorus, potassium, and sodium content of commonly consumed meat, poultry, and fish products among patients with chronic kidney disease. Journal of Renal Nutrition 28, 8390.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pingali, PL (2012) Green revolution: impacts, limits, and the path ahead. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109, 1230212308.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Premarathna, HMPL, Hettiarachchi, CM and Indraratne, SP (2005) Accumulation of cadmium in intensive vegetable growing soils in the up country. Tropical Agricultural Research 17, 93103.Google Scholar
Qiu, Q, Wang, Y, Yang, Z and Yuan, J (2011) Effects of phosphorus supplied in soil on subcellular distribution and chemical forms of cadmium in two Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica parachinensis L.) cultivars differing in cadmium accumulation. Food and Chemical Toxicology 49, 22602267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Samarakoon, SMM and Abeygunawardena, P (1996) An economic assessment of on-site effects of soil erosion in potato lands in Nuwara Eliya district of Sri Lanka. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 6, 8192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS Institute (1995) SAS/Stat User Guide, Vol. 2, Version 6.1. Carry, NY: SAS Institute.Google Scholar
Setiyo, Y, Harsojuwono, BA and Gunam, IBW (2020) The concentration of heavy metals in the potato tubers of the basic seed groups examined by the variation of fertilizers, pesticides and the period of cultivation. AIMS Agriculture and Food 5, 882895.Google Scholar
Shahid, M, Dumat, C, Khalid, S, Schreck, E, Xiong, T and Niazi, NK (2017) Foliar heavy metal uptake, toxicity and detoxification in plants: a comparison of foliar and root metal uptake. Journal of Hazardous Materials 325, 3658.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharma, A, Katnoria, JK and Nagpal, AK (2016) Heavy metals in vegetables: screening health risks involved in cultivation along wastewater drain and irrigating with wastewater. SpringerPlus 5, 488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sirisena, D and Suriyagoda, LDB (2018) Toward sustainable phosphorus management in Sri Lankan rice and vegetable-based cropping systems: a review. Agriculture and Natural Resources 52, 915.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somaweera, KATN, Suriyagoda, LDB, Sirisena, DN and De Costa, WAJM (2017) Growth, root adaptations, phosphorus and potassium nutrition of rice when grown under the co-limitations of phosphorus, potassium and moisture. Journal of Plant Nutrition 40, 795812.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suriyagoda, LDB, Dittert, K and Lambers, H (2018) Mechanism of arsenic uptake, translocation and plant resistance to accumulate arsenic in rice grains. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 253, 2337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tack, FMG (2014) Trace elements in potato. Potato Research 57, 311325.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Takahashi, M, Yanai, Y, Umeda, H and Sasaki, H (2018) Relationship between growth and N:P of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L., var. capitata) plug seedlings according to moisture content and nitrogen and phosphorus application after transplanting. Scientia Horticulturae 233, 294301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Ranst, E, Verloo, M, Demeyer, A and Pauwels, JM (1999) Manual for the Soil Chemistry and Fertility: Laboratory-Analytical Methods for Soils and Plants, Equipment, and Management of Consumables. Gent, Belgium: University of Gent.Google Scholar
Wang, B, Xie, Z, Chen, J, Jiang, J and Su, Q (2008) Effects of field application of phosphate fertilizers on the availability and uptake of lead, zinc and cadmium by cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.) in a mining tailing contaminated soil. Journal of Environmental Sciences 20, 11091117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weerakkody, WAP and Mawalagedera, SMMR (2020) Recent developments in vegetable production technologies in Sri Lanka. In Marambe, B, Weerahewa, J and Dandeniya, WS (eds), Agricultural Research for Sustainable Food Systems in Sri Lanka: Volume 1: A Historical Perspective. Singapore: Springer, pp. 189214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wen, G, Huang, L, Zhang, X and Hu, Z (2019) Uptake of nutrients and heavy metals in struvite recovered from a mixed wastewater of human urine and municipal sewage by two vegetables in calcareous soil. Environmental Technology & Innovation 15, 100384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wijewardena, JDH and Amarasiri, SL (1997) Long-term use of potassium fertilizer for vegetable crops in the upcountry intermediate zone. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka 25, 5968.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, P, Chen, H-J, Fan, H-Y, Li, Q-S, Gao, Q, Wang, D-S, Wang, L-L, Zhou, C and Zeng, EY (2019) Phosphorus supply alters the root metabolism of Chinese flowering cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis Tsenet Lee) and the mobilization of Cd bound to lepidocrocite in soil. Environmental and Experimental Botany 167, 103827.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Suriyagoda et al. supplementary material

Tables S1-S2

Download Suriyagoda et al. supplementary material(File)
File 13.6 KB