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Pedosphere 36(3): 749--758, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press

Regulation of cadmium accumulation and transport in plants by exogenous calcium in acid yellow soils

Shaoxia LIN^1,2, Qiuxiao YAN^1,2

, Fuxiao WEI^1,2, Guangyan LIANG^1,2, Daoping WANG^1,2

¹State Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014 (China);
² Natural Products Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550014 (China)

ABSTRACT

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic and mobile heavy metal of environmental concern, while calcium (Ca) is essential for plant cell metabolism and signal transduction. This study aimed to explore the effect of exogenous Ca application on Cd enrichment and transport in a Cd-enriched crop, pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), grown on a high-Cd acidic soil in a karst region. The biological concentration factors were all greater than 1 in plant roots, stems, and leaves at different growth stages. The Cd sequestered by roots accounted for 56%-73% of the total Cd accumulation in the whole plant, while the fruits showed Cd accumulation of only 1%-5% of the total. As the plant grew, the Cd accumulation in the aboveground parts decreased in the high Ca/Cd treatments (6 mg kg^-1 Cd with 1.6 or 3.2 g kg^-1 Ca). Plant accumulation of Cd at the harvesting stage exhibited a significantly inverse correlation with the level of Ca added exogenously to soil. The results of this study elucidate the effect of elevated soil Ca levels on Cd accumulation in plants in karst regions and provide valuable insights into the remediation of Cd contamination in acid yellow soils with a geologically high background Cd level.

Citation: Lin S X, Yan Q X, Wei F X, Liang G Y, Wang D P. 2026. Regulation of cadmium accumulation and transport in plants by exogenous calcium in acid yellow soils. Pedosphere. 36(3): 749-758.

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