Effect of Lime and Farmyard Manure on the Concentration of Cadmium in Water Spinach ( Ipomoea aquatica )

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of lime and farmyard manure on the concentration of cadmium in water spinach. Water spinach ( Ipomoea aquatica cv. Kankon) was grown in sandy loam soil spiked with 5 mg Cd with lime (L) and farmyard manure (M) amendments. The treatments consisted of control, four levels of L (5, 10, 15, and 20 t ), M (5, 10, 15, and 20 t ), and their combinations (55, 1010, 1515, and 2020 t ). Growth parameters of water spinach increased significantly with the addition of lime and farmyard manure in the soil. Lime addition to soil decreased Cd concentration in both shoot and root of water spinach. In control (00), Cd concentration was 62.67 mg in shoot, and 135.5 mg in root. Cadmium concentration decreased by 72, 15, and 66% over the control in shoot and 82, 28, and 76% in the roots correspondingly with the highest rate of lime (20 t ), manure (20 t ), and lime plus manure combinations (20 t 20 t ). The results imply that 5 to 10 t lime could be used in Cd-contaminated soils to reduce Cd uptake by agricultural crops.