[Effects of calcium on cadmium bioavailability in lateritic red soil and related mechanisms]

A pot experiment with Cd-polluted lateritic red soils was conducted to study the effects of applying different concentration (0, 40, 100, and 200 mg x kg(-1)) Ca on the rape biomass, its Cd uptake, and the Ca and Cd concentrations in soil solution. Comparing with no Ca application, applying Ca increased the rape dry mass, whether under high or low level Cd pollution. The increment of the dry mass in two cropping seasons was averagely 5.5% (low level Cd pollution) and 17.3% (high level Cd pollution). The Ca concentration both in soil solution and in rape plant increased markedly with increasing Ca application rate. At the Ca application rate 100 mg x kg(-1), the Cd concentration in soil solution increased by 74.5% (low Cd pollution) and 31.0% (high level Cd pollution), while that in rape plant decreased by 4.5% (low Cd pollution) and 13.1% (high level Cd pollution). There was a positive relationship between the Ca/Cd (mass ratio) in soil solution and the Cd concentration in rape plant under both low and high levels Cd pollution. The Ca/Cd (mass ratio) in soil solution affected the bioavailability of soil Cd, and further, affected the Cd up-take by rape.