Technical solutions for minimizing wheat grain cadmium: A field study in North China

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Agronomy
• Soil Science

Background:

• Cadmium (Cd) pollution in wheat poses a global food safety risk.
• Effective strategies are needed to minimize Cd accumulation in wheat grains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess soil amendments and low-Cd cultivars for Cd reduction in wheat.
• To propose a risk-based strategy for safe wheat grain production.

Main Methods:

• Field trials at high and low Cd-risk sites.
• Evaluation of soil amendments (biochar, sepiolite, microbial agent YZ1).
• Assessment of low-Cd wheat cultivars (JM22, SX828, LX99, JM262).
• Analysis of grain Cd, soil Cd, and rhizospheric microbial communities.

Main Results:

• Low-Cd cultivar JM22 showed significantly lower grain Cd at high-Cd sites.
• Soil amendments (biochar, sepiolite) were ineffective at the tested dosage.
• Microbial agent YZ1 had minimal impact on soil fungi and was not persistent.
• At low-Cd sites, JM22, LX99, and JM262 demonstrated low grain Cd.
• A soil Cd threshold of 1.55 mg·kg⁻¹ was identified for safe grain production with JM22.

Conclusions:

• Low-Cd wheat cultivars are a viable strategy for minimizing grain Cd.
• JM22 is a promising cultivar for safe wheat production in areas with soil Cd up to 1.55 mg·kg⁻¹.
• Cost-benefit analysis supports the use of low-Cd cultivars for Cd pollution control in wheat.