Pedogenic factors and measurements of the plant uptake of cobalt

• Published in: Plant and soil 2011-02, Vol.339 (1-2), p.499-512
• Main Authors: Collins, Richard N, Kinsela, Andrew S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acid soils; Agricultural production; Agricultural soils; Agrology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Anthropogenic factors; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cobalt; Cobalt industry; Ecology; extraction; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Life Sciences; Manganese; Measurement; Orchard soils; Plant biology; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant uptake; Plants; Prairie soils; REVIEW ARTICLE; soil; Soil genesis; Soil plant interactions; Soil pollution; Soil science; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil sciences; Soil surveys, classification and mapping, soil genesis; Soil types; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Thin films; Toy industry; Wright, J.R
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-010-0584-y

Understanding the factors which affect plant uptake of cobalt (Co) across a range of soil types is essential for both continued agricultural productivity as well as for possible remediation of contaminated sites. This review examines the relevant pedogenic processes contributing to plant uptake of Co from soils based on a critical evaluation of existing numerical data. Numerous pedogenic factors have been put forward in the scientific literature to account for the plant uptake of Co, including total, extractable and isotopically exchangeable soil Co concentrations, pH and other soil chemical parameters (e.g. manganese concentrations), microbial variations as well as anthropogenic inputs. Despite there being certain instances where significant correlations occur between these parameters and plant uptake of Co, an examination of multiple data sets shows that these relationships are spatially isolated. With the measureable parameters showing only weak correlations at best, there should be a degree of scepticism regarding the interpretation of reported data sets. Newly evolving techniques which assess kinetically-bioavailable in-situ soil concentrations, such as diffusive gradient thin-films, offer the potential to better address plant Co uptake across a range of soil types.