EFFECT OF SOIL CADMIUM APPLICATION AND PH ON GROWTH AND CADMIUM ACCUMULATION IN ROOTS, LEAVES AND FRUIT OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS (FRAGARIA X ANANASSA-DUCH)

Three strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) cultivars Rainier, Totem and Selva were grown under greenhouse conditions in a Parkhill sandy l oam soil with a background DTPA-extractable Cd concentration of 0.18 m g kg(-1) and a pH of 5.1. Experimental treatments included combination s of 4 Cd applications (0, 15, 30 and 60 mg Cd kg(-1) soil) applied as CdSO4 and 2 soil pH values 5.1 and 6.8. Both the application of Cd an d pH of the soil significantly affected plant growth, yield and Cd acc umulation in plant tissue and fruit. Although roots accumulated the hi ghest concentrations of Cd of all plant parts investigated, increased soil Cd application reduced leaf weight more than root weight. In gene ral, yield of strawberries was decreased by an increase in amount of s oil-applied Cd, however the yield response varied among cultivars. At 60 mg Cd kg(-1) soil, yield of Rainier cultivar was reduced to 17.6% o f control plants. Over 90% of total Cd taken up by plants grown in Cd- treated soil accumulated in roots, regardless of the Cd level in the s oil. Root Cd concentrations ranged from 2.6 mg kg(-1) (control plants) to 505.7 mg kg(-1) (Totem plants grown in soil at highest Cd and a so il pH 5.1) and were directly related to soil Cd concentrations. Cd tra nslocation from roots to leaves and fruit was very limited, resulting in a maximum Cd concentration in root leaf tissue of 10.2 mg kg(-1). A ccumulation of Cd in fruit was found to correlate well with leaf Cd, a lthough even at the highest amount of applied Cd, fruit Cd concentrati on did not exceed 700 mu g kg(-1) of fresh weight.