Increasing the Knowledge on the Management of Cu-Contaminated Agricultural Soils by Cropping Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.)

• Published in: Land degradation & development 2015-08, Vol.26 (6), p.587-595
• Main Authors: Sacristan, Daniel, Penarroya, Blai, Recatala, Luis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural management; agricultural soils; Assaying; Biomass; Copper; Cu toxicity; Degradation; European Mediterranean region; Land; Lycopersicon esculentum; Plants (organisms); Soils; Solanum; Solanum lycopersicum; Valencian region
• ISSN: 1085-3278; 1099-145X
• DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2319

This paper increases the knowledge on the potential use of Cu‐contaminated agricultural soils with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The effect of Cu and its interaction with soil properties on plant biomass production and on the accumulation of this metal in plant tissues were evaluated by conducting biomass assays in four representative Mediterranean agricultural soils contaminated by Cu. Copper toxicity on plant biomass production, evaluated through the effective concentrations of Cu added to soil that reduce the biomass production by 50% (EC50) and by 10% (EC10), was higher in soils having less soil organic matter and clay content and even in soils with favourable properties but having salinity. For the cases in which tomato was collected, Cu concentrations in them were similar for all soils and doses and never exceed the maximum Cu concentration allowed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission Regulation (10 mgCu kg−1 in fresh weight basis). According to our results, tomato could be cropped in Cu‐contaminated Mediterranean agricultural soils when concentrations of Cu determined in them rely between their respective EC50 and EC10, because production and quality of fruits, the latter understood as the Cu concentration in them, would not be compromised. For the soils assayed, these values would range between 32·9 and 1696·5 mg kg−1, depending on soil properties. Because the baseline value considered is similar to those established in other parts of the European Mediterranean region, these results can be used as guidance for this region to establish adequate phytoremediation strategies and prevent land degradation processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.