Use of compost in the uptake mitigation of arsenic in Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla

Background Arsenic (As) may represent a risk for crop yield quality and human health since it may accumulate in the edible plant organs with the potential of leading to acute or chronic toxic effects in varied segments of the population. Management of soil fertility through compost has proven to be a valuable practice for increasing and maintaining soil organic matter, with nutritional benefits for crops. This work aimed to evaluate Swiss chard yield and the change in the bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and partitioning of As in the response of the use of compost or conventional mineral fertilization in an open-field trial conducted in a volcanic area in central Italy characterized by the natural contamination of As in soil. Results Compost treatment led to a short-term increase trend in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus in a significant way. In the compost-amended plots, the mitigation of the As uptake was detected in leaves, which are the edible part of Swiss chard. The As bioaccumulation factor in leaves of Swiss chard and the translocation factor for leaves/roots were also decreased using compost. Conclusion Fertilization by compost can improve soil fertility, sustain Swiss chard production, and mitigate As accumulation in leaves of this crop grown in a naturally As-contaminated soil. (c) 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Automated summary

The study showed that fertilization with compost can effectively increase soil organic matter content and reduce arsenic accumulation in Swiss chard leaves, leading to improved crop yield and soil fertility in a volcanic area.