Total and potentially phytotoxic trace metals in Southeastern Italian soils

Author: Giuseppe Ferrara, Gennaro Brunetti ^*, Nicola Senesi, Donato Mondelli and Vito La Ghezza

Received 17 January 2003, accepted 29 April 2003.

Abstract

A number of soils from Southeastern Italy have been characterized for their principal physico-chemical properties and total and available contents of trace metals in order to evaluate their possible phytotoxic effects on locally-grown crops. Trace metal toxicity was evaluated by measuring their content in the shoots of different crops (olive, orchards, vineyards and vegetables) grown on these soils, and by using phytotoxicity tests based on seed germination and seedling growth. The total contents measured for trace metals are generally within the usual range found in italian soils. Only total Pb and Cd contents were close to the upper limits of environmental hazardous concentration. Trace metal contents in plant shoots and results of phytotoxicity tests confirmed the presence in these soils of metal concentrations not harmful to plants.