K. SAPOUNDJIEVA, Y. KARTALSKA, A. VASSILEV, M. NAIDENOV, I. KUZMANOVA and S. KRASTEV
Agricultural University of Plovdiv, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
SAPOUNDJIEVA, K., Y. KARTALSKA, A. VASSILEV, M. NAIDENOV, I. KUZMANOVA and S. KRASTEV, 2003. Effects of the chelating agent EDTA on metal solubility in the soil, metal uptake and performance of maize plants and soil microorganisms. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 9: 659–663
Pot experiments have been conducted in a greenhouse with maize plants (cv. H-708) grown on metal polluted soil amended by the chelating agent ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) during the period 2001–2002. It was established that EDTA application (0.5 and 1.5 mg kg–1 soil) dramatically increased solubility of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu in the soil without any negative effects on soil microorganisms. The EDTA, applied at 0.5 mg kg–1 soil, increased 6-fold Pb uptake by plants until leaf concentration of 198 mg kg–1 DW as well as Cd and Cu uptake by 39 and 53 %, respectively. EDTA application did not cause any negative effects on both dry biomass and leaf gas exchange of maize plants. The results obtained in this greenhouse study gave evidence that it could be possible to achieve both profitable cultivation of maize for industrial purpose on metal-polluted soil accompanied by significant Pb removal. Field studies are foreseen to prove this suggestion.