Effect Of Soil Conditions And Fertilizers On Cadmium In Vegetables – A National Approach
This project investigated the effect of farm management practices within a national perspective, on cadmium concentrations in vegetables, especially potatoes. Both field and glasshouse experiments were conducted, with all State Departments of Agriculture in Australia being involved at various stages of the investigation. Potatoes were chosen as the main test crop as these are the major contributor to dietary cadmium intake in Australia. Soil salinity was found to have a major impact in increasing tuber cadmium concentrations. High chloride concentrations in soil, either through irrigation with salty water or due to dryland salinisation, will lead to enhanced cadmium uptake by crops.