Crop uptake of cadmium from phosphorus fertilizers: II. Relationship with extractable soil cadmium

In a greenhouse experiment, effects of different phosphate fertilizer applications on soil Cd extracted by DTPA and NH₄NO₃ in relation to plant uptake of Cd were investigated. The soils used were a sand and a loam treated with lime to achieve three pHs ranging from 4.77 to 5.94 for the sandy soil and 4.97 to 6.80 for the loam soil. Oat (Avena sativa L.), ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), were used as test species. Application of the high-Cd NPK fertilizer (adding 12.5 μg Cd kg^?1 soil) significantly increased the extractable soil Cd, especially the DTPA-extractable Cd. Use of phosphate rock adding as much Cd as the high-Cd NPK fertilizer did not increase the extractable Cd in either of the soils. Both DTPA- and NH₄NO₃-extractable Cd decreased with the increases in soil pH. The Cd concentrations and total Cd uptake of plants were significantly correlated with the soil Cd extracted by DTPA and NH₄NO₃.