Low-cost agricultural practices to reduce heavy metal

Volume : IV, Issue : IV, April - 2015

Renu Yadav, Archana Yadav

Agriculture soil may become contaminated by the accumulation of heavy metals through emissions from the rapidly

expanding industrial areas, mine tailings, disposal of high metal wastes, leaded gasoline, paints and land application

of fertilizers. Gradually increasing pollution of agricultural land, leads to accumulation of toxic products. The adequate

protection and restoration of soil ecosystems contaminated by heavy metals require their characterization and remediation .The application of

soil amendments is another very effective measure to reduce the concentration of heavy metals in crops. Both organic (e.g., farmyard manure)

and inorganic amendments (e.g., lime, zeolites, and iron oxides) were found to decrease the metal accumulation. Further effective methods to

reduce metal transfer into food chain include crop rotation and cultivation of industrial or bio–energy crops.