Study on the Effect of Potassium and Zinc on the Cadmium Accumulation in Potato Tubers

 Edible crops grown in cadmium polluted soils are the primary source of large amounts of cadmium entering the consumer body. To investigate the effect of potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) on tuber yield and uptake and accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in potato tubers, a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with 9 treatments and 4 replications has been carried out in 2014-15 in one of the polluted farm in the Faridan, Isfahan province. In this study, potassium sulfate (SOP) was applied at three levels (0, 150 and 300 kg ha-1) and zinc sulfate at three levels (0, 20 and 40 kg ha-1) were used. The results showed that the highest tuber yield and percentage of dry matter were 38505 kg ha-1 and 23.14 that obtained from treatment 150 kg ha-1 SOP + 20 kg ha-1 ZnSO4 and the lowest was 24000 kg ha-1 and 19.88 that obtained from control. The highest concentration of K in tubers was equal to 378 mg kg-1 that obtained from 300 kg ha-1 SOP + 40 kg ha-1 ZnSO4, and the lowest was equal to 210 mg kg-1 that obtained from control. The highest concentration of Zn in tubers was equal to 40 mg kg-1 that obtained from 150 kg ha-1 SOP + 20 kg ha-1 ZnSO4, and the lowest was equal to 20 mg kg-1 that obtained from control. While Cd concentration in the control was 0.77 mg kg-1, it decreased significantly in all other treatments, and the lowest was 0.23 mg kg-1 in both 150 kg ha-1 SOP + 20 kg ha-1 ZnSO4 and 300 kg ha-1 SOP + 20 kg ha-1 ZnSO4 treatments. According to the obtained results it can be concluded that application of K2SO4 and ZnSO4 fertilizers in the polluted farm is necessary for obtaining higher yield and is necessary for healthy crop.