Performance of açaí solteiro (Euterpe precatoria Mart.) growing in soils with different levels of cadmium and organic matter

Abstract

Studies of the effects of contaminants have become frequent due the concern about the environment that has increasing worldwide. Among the pollutants, the heavy metal cadmium stands out, which is one of the most harmful chemical elements for human health. Cadmium causes neurological diseases, appearance of dermatoses and cancers in different organs of the human body, even at low concentrations. In plant metabolism, metals can negatively affect processes such as photosynthesis, water transport and absorption of essential elements, causing morphological and physiological damages, compromising the development of the plant. The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of Euterpe precatoria cultivated in soils with and without organic matter, non-contaminated and contaminated by cadmium. To carry out the experiment in a greenhouse, a randomized experimental design was used with 4 treatments and 5 replications, with 2 plants per replication, totaling 20 experimental units. Pots with a capacity of approximately 4 kg of soil with and without organic matter were used in each experimental plot. The plants did not show symptoms of cadmium phytotoxicity. Organic matter influenced positively in the production of root and shoot dry mass of E. precatoria, in addition, this species presented good performance when cultivated in soil with Cd.