Influence of landform, soil properties, soil Cd pollution and rainfall on the spatial variation of Cd in rice: Contribution and pathway models based on big data

Landform, soil properties, soil cadmium (Cd) pollution and rainfall are the important factors affecting the spatial variation of rice Cd. In this study, we conducted big data mining and model analysis of 150,000 rice-soil sampling sites to examine the effects by the above four factors on the spatial variation of rice Cd in Hunan Province, China. Specifically, the variable coefficient of rice Cd in space was significantly correlated with the partition scale according to the logistic fitting. The improved random forest results suggested that elevation (DEM) and pH were the two most important factors affecting the spatial variation of rice Cd, followed by relief, soil Cd content and rainfall. Typically, variance partitioning analysis (VPA) revealed that both the soil property and the interactive effects between the soil property and Cd pollution were the principal contributors to the rice-Cd variation, with the respective contributing rates of 30.5 % and 29.0 %. Meanwhile, the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) elucidated 4 main paths of specific indirect effects on rice-Cd variation. They were landform → physicochemical property → soil acidity → rice-Cd variation, landform → soil acidity → rice-Cd variation, physicochemical property → soil acidity → rice-Cd variation, and soil texture → soil acidity → rice-Cd variation. This work can provide a general guidance for scientific zoning, accurate prediction and prevention of Cd pollution in paddy fields.

Influence of soil properties on cadmium accumulation in vegetables: Thresholds, prediction and pathway models based on big data

Soil properties, such as soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), are the most important factors affecting cadmium (Cd) accumulation in vegetables. In this study, we conducted big data mining of 31,342 soil and vegetable samples to examine the influence of soil properties (soil pH, SOM, CEC, Zn and Mn content) on the accumulation of Cd in root, solanaceous, and leafy vegetables in Hunan Province, China. Specifically, the Cd accumulation capability was in the following order: leafy vegetables > root vegetables > solanaceous vegetables. The soil property thresholds for safety production in vegetables were determined by establishing nonlinear models between Cd bioaccumulation factor (BCF) and the individual soil property, and were 6.5 (pH), 30.0 g/kg (SOM), 13.0 cmol/kg (CEC), 100-140 mg/kg (Zn), and 300-400 mg/kg (Mn). When soil property values were higher than the thresholds, Cd accumulation in vegetables tended to be stable. Prediction models showed that pH and soil Zn were the leading factors influencing Cd accumulation in root vegetables, explaining 87% of the variance; pH, SOM, soil Zn and Mn explained 68% of the variance in solanaceous vegetables; pH and SOM were the main contributors in leafy vegetables, explaining 65% of the variance. Further, variance partitioning analysis (VPA) revealed that the interaction effect of the corresponding key soil properties contributed mostly to BCF. Meanwhile, partial least squares (PLS) path modeling was employed to analyze the path and the interactive effects of soil properties on Cd BCF. pH and SOM were found to be the biggest two players affecting BCF in PLS-models, and the most substantial interactive influence paths of soil properties on BCF were different among the three types of vegetables.

[Effects of phosphorous fertilizers on phytoavailability of cadmium in its contaminated soil and related mechanisms]

To explore an effective measure to ensure the safety of rice quality in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated farmland, a pot culture experiment was conducted to study the effects of of low Cd content (Cd < 0.2 mg x kg(-1)) phosphorous fertilizers with an application rate of 0.10 or 0.20 g P2O5 x kg(-1) on the phytoavailability of Cd in its contaminated p add y soil, with the related mechanisms discussed. Compared with no phosphorous fertilization, applying 0.10 P2O5 x kg(-1) of calcium magnesium phosphate (CMP) and monopotassium phosphate (MKP) increased soil pH and decreased soil available Cd content significantly, and CMP and calcium superphosphate (CSP) decreased the Cd accumulation in rice significantly. When the application rate was up to 0.20 g P2O5 x kg(-1), calcium hydrogen phosphate (CHP) increased the soil pH and decreased the soil available Cd content significantly, and CMP, MKP, and CHP decreased the DTPA-extractable soil Cd content by 11.8%, 9.8%, and 11.8%, and the NH4 OAc-extractable soil Cd content by 9.5%, 7.1%, and 7.1%, respectively. All test phosphorous fertilizers could significantly decrease the stem and leaf Cd contents, with a decrement of 24.9%-50.8%, and except CHP, the others could significantly decrease the Cd content of brown rice. With the application CMP and CSP, the Cd content of brown rice was close to the National Hygienic Standard for Grains (GB 2715-2005). Among the test phosphorous fertilizers, those can increase soil pH (CMP, MKP, and CHP) could significantly decrease the availability of soil Cd significantly, and those containing calcium (CMP and CSP) were more effective in decreasing the Cd accumulation in rice. The efficiency of the phosphorous fertilizers was mainly determined by their chemical properties. Alkaline calcium-containing phosphorous fertilizers were more effective in decreasing the Cd absorption and accumulation in rice plant in Cd-contaminated farmland.

[Carbon sequestration effects of rice straw return in double season paddy field in Southern China]

In a long-term site-specific experiment with rice straw return (RSR) and in a short-term experiment with different RSR modes, this paper studied the effects of RSR on the soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, methane emission, and net carbon sink in a double season paddy field. RSR increased the SOC content, and the annual increasing rate of soil carbon sink in plow layer (0-15 cm) under long-term RSR was 0.07 t C x hm(-2) x a(-1). With the increasing amount of RSR, the apparent SOC transformation rate decreased. RSR promoted the methane emission from the paddy field significantly, and the methane emission flux in treatment RSR plus NPK during early- and late rice growth seasons increased by 75.0% and 251.5% (P < 0.01), respectively, compared with that in treatment NPK. The methane emission increased with the increasing amount of RSR. Under the similar tillage mode and rice yield, the rice straw returned had the similar apparent methane transformation rate. Considering the soil carbon sequestration and the net carbon sink after methane emission in the paddy field comprehensively, treatment RSR plus NPK had significant negative effect on the carbon sink which was basically approached to the bio-fixation of carbon by rice and increased by 158.3%, as compared with treatment NPK. Among different RSR modes, rice straw mulching plus no tillage decreased soil methane emission significantly, with the net carbon sink decreased by 50.9% as compared with the treatment high stubble plus tillage, and benefited the high and stable yielding of rice.

[Effects and mechanism of alkaline wastes application and zinc fertilizer addition on Cd bioavailability in contaminated soil]

The effects of paper mill sludge, red mud and zinc fertilizer addition on remediation of acid cadmium contaminated paddy soil were studied in a pot experiment, and their beneficial effects were verified in a field experiment, by using lime as comparison. The pot experiment results showed that a single application (2 g x kg(-1)) of lime, paper mill sludge or red mud increased soil pH significantly. Compared with no applying alkaline substances, the soil exchangeable Ca content was increased by 33.1%-76.0% at 7 days after applying alkaline substances and 31.0%-78.3% at 30 days after rice transplanting, respectively. The soil available Cd content was significantly decreased by 38.4%-45.0% at 7 days after the three alkaline substances applications, and was decreased by 37.4%-52.9% and 33.2%-38.7% at 30 days and 60 days after rice transplanting, respectively. The Cd content in rice root and brown rice was decreased by 24.0%-48.5% and 26.3%-44.7%, respectively. With equal applications of lime, paper mill sludge and red mud, the effects on increase of soil pH and decrease in Cd accumulation by rice was lime > red mud > paper mill sludge. Compared with a single application (2 g x kg(-1)) of paper mill sludge or red mud, Cd accumulation decreased significantly following the application of zinc fertilizer (0.2 g x kg(-1)) field experimental results were similar to the pot experiment that Cd accumulation apparently declined in the first and second crops (late rice and autumn rape) following the application of paper mill sludge, red mud and addition of zinc fertilizer. The Cd content in brown rice and rape seeds was decreased by 27.1-65.1% and 16.4%-41.6%, respectively, compared with no alkaline substances application. The Cd content in brown rice reached the National Hygienic Standard for Grains (GB 2715-2005). Therefore, combined application of paper mill sludge or red mud with zinc fertilizer was a feasible method to remediate acid cadmium contaminated paddy soil. Rice quality was guaranteed by determination of rational amount of alkaline wastes and a proportion of zinc fertilizer which was in accord with soil Cd contamination level and chemical properties, etc.