Pedosphere 36(3): 669--682, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and zinc oxide nanoparticles on cadmium uptake and accumulation in winter wheat grown in naturally cadmium-contaminated soils |
Jing YANG1,2, Yuanzhe MA1,2, Chuangye ZHANG1,2, Yunmei WU1,2, Yifan LIU1,2, Huini DU1,2, Fuyong WU1,2 |
1 College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100 (China);
2 Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agricultural Environment of Northwest of the Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling 712100 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural systems poses a threat to human health. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) applied alone have been shown to enhance winter wheat growth in Cd-contaminated soil, but their combined effects remain largely unexplored, especially in naturally Cd-contaminated soils. Two naturally Cd-contaminated soils with different pH levels, an alkaline soil and an acidic soil collected from Henan and Hunan provinces, respectively, in China, were used to assess the effects of AMF and ZnO NPs on growth and Cd accumulation in winter wheat. The combined application of AMF and ZnO NPs significantly reduced (by 41%-71%) Cd concentration in winter wheat grown in Cd-contaminated soils. Specifically, the treatment with AMF and 20 mg kg-1 ZnO NPs effectively decreased soil available Cd by 18%-32% and reduced wheat grain Cd concentration by 60%-71%, ensuring compliance with China's food safety threshold (< 0.2 mg kg-1). Additionally, this treatment increased Zn concentration in wheat grain by 17.6%-31.3%, meeting the recommended dietary intake value for Zn (45-60 mg kg-1). Structural equation models (SEM) and correlation analysis showed that the reduction in grain Cd concentration was associated with a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in soil available Cd, an increase in soil pH (especially in the acidic soil), restricted Cd translocation due to Zn-Cd competitive antagonism, and “dilution effect” resulting from improved plant growth. Overall, this study demonstrated that the combined application of AMF and low-dose ZnO NPs (20 mg kg-1) was the optimized strategy to reduce grain Cd concentration and improve Zn uptake in winter wheat grown in Cd-contaminated soils, regardless of soil pH. |
| Key Words: available Cd|Cd contamination|Cd fraction|Cd translocation|grain Cd concentration|interactive effect |
| Citation: Yang J, Ma Y Z, Zhang C Y, Wu Y M, Liu Y F, Du H N, Wu F Y. 2026. Influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and zinc oxide nanoparticles on cadmium uptake and accumulation in winter wheat grown in naturally cadmium-contaminated soils. Pedosphere. 36(3): 669-682. |
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