Interactive effect of organic manure and silicon can mitigate

Arsenic accumulation in rice

Prasanta Kumar Patra1*, Sandip Hembram1, Sukanta Pal2 and Supradip Sarkar3
1
Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Bidhan Chandra Krishi
Viswavidyalaya, P.O.- Mohanpur, Nadia, PIN-741252, West Bengal, India
2
Department of Agronomy, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, P.O-Mohanpur, Nadia,
PIN-741252, West Bengal, India
3 Department of Agricultural Physics and Meteorology, , Bidhan Chandra Krishi
Viswavidyalaya, P.O.- Mohanpur, Nadia, PIN-741252, West Bengal, India
drpatrapk@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION
Flooded anaerobic condition, where rice is normally grown, results in inadvertent uptake of
arsenite by rice plants and its accumulation in grains and straw. While arsenic in drinking
water is an important point source, rice being a staple food, its cultivation with arsenic laden
groundwater constitute a principal diffused source of arsenic entry into human system and
aggravates the problem further and has reached a calamitous proportion in West Bengal,
India and Bangladesh (Huq and Naidu, 2003). Organic matter having a greater affinity for
arsenic sorption forming organo-arsenic complex may reduce arsenic load in rice grain
(Pikaray et al., 2005). Since uptake of Arsenite (AsIII) is effectuated through Si transport
pathways, application of soluble silicon inhibits its entry into rice plant (Bogdan and Schenk,
2008).The present research programme was undertaken to explore the possibility of
mitigation of As contamination in rice through combined application of silicon fertilization and
vermicompost in some As contaminated soils of Eastern India.

METHODS
A pot culture experiment was conducted in the green house on 5 arsenic contaminated
surface soil (0-0.15 m) collected from Nadia and South 24 Parganas districts. Six kg soil was
put in earthen pots and treated with three treatment combinations comprising (1) Control; (2)
silicon as calcium silicate (500 mg.kg-1 soil) and vermicompost (1g.kg-1 soil) and (3) silicon as
calcium silicate (500 mg.kg-1 soil) and vermicompost (2 g.kg-1 soil) to evaluate the effect of Si
and organic manure on arsenic content of soil and grains of two rice varieties viz., Shatabdi
and Muktasree.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Arsenic content of different plant parts at harvest of rice (Table 1) revealed significant
difference in different soils and application of vermicompost and calcium silicate resulted in
significant differences in acquisition of arsenic by rice plant. The tested rice varieties also
differed significantly in their arsenic acquisition into different plant parts.

Arsenic Content of Soil

The total and extractable As (Olsen’s extractant) content (mg.kg -1) (Table 1) varied
significantly among different soils. While the total As content ranged between 21.18
(Nonaghata) and 30.08 (South Panchpota) with a mean of 24.81± 0.65, the extractable As
content ranged between 1.18 (Baruipur) and 3.27 (South Panchpota) with a mean of 2.26±
0.08. Application of vermicompost effectuated increase (3.93-8.14%) in the total As content
(Table 1) of rhizosphere soil. Irrespective of vermicompost, application of calcium silicate
effectuated 6.03% increase in total As content of soils (Table 1). Application of calcium
silicate and/or vermicompost did not significantly influence the extractable As content of the
rhizosphere soil of both the rice varieties.

Total Arsenic Content of Rice Plant

 The total As content (mg.kg-1) of rice root, shoot, leaf, husk and grain of rice varied
significantly among different soils (Table 1). While the observed mean total As content of rice
roots (mg.kg-1) was 201.46± 14.12 ranging between 110.2 (Baruipur) and 318.42 (Mitrapur);
that of rice shoots was 14.67± 0.85 ranging between 11.33 (Baruipur) and 19.0 (Mitrapur);
that of leaves was 10.08±0.48 ranging between 7.88 (Nonaghata) and 11.66 (South
Panchpota); that of rice husk was 6.63± 0.34 ranging between 5.05 (Gontra) and 8.23
(South Panchpota) and that of rice grain was 1.62± 0.28 ranging between 0.72 (Nonaghata)
and 2.70 (Gontra). Irrespective of soil and rice variety, application of vermicompost
effectuated 28.1% increase in the total As content of rice roots; between 10.14 to 21.83%
decrease in rice shoots; between 9.7 to 11.7% increase in rice leaves; between 6.0 to 8.4%
decrease in rice husk and between 54.8 to 59.1% decrease in rice grains (Table 1).
Irrespective of soil and rice variety, application of Si effectuated 9.2%% increase in total As
content of roots; 19.99% decrease in total As content of rice shoots; 10.72% increase in total
As content of rice leaves; 7.2% decrease in total As content of rice husk and 57.0%
decrease in total As content of rice grains. Irrespective of soil, vermicompost and Si, rice
variety Muktasree, in comparison to Shatabdi, had significantly higher total As in root
(19.78%); in leaf (23.17%); in rice husk (10.1%) and significantly lower total As in rice shoot
(17.29%) and rice grains (36.4%), were observed.
Table 1. Arsenic content of rhizosphere soil and plant parts of two rice varieties under the
influence of vermicompost and calcium silicate in different arsenic contaminated soils
Total As (mg.kg-1) in Different Plant As Content in Soil
Parts (mg.kg-1)
Grain Husk Leaf Shoot Root Total Extrac
table
Baruipur 1.67 6.33 8.92 11.33 110.20 25.54 1.18
Gontra 2.70 5.05 10.35 16.25 175.74 23.15 2.89
Mitrapur 1.06 6.78 11.60 19.00 318.42 24.10 1.79
Nonaghata 0.72 6.79 7.88 11.44 197.90 21.18 2.18
South Panchpota 1.95 8.23 11.66 15.31 205.05 30.08 3.27
Mean 1.62 6.63 10.08 14.67 201.46 24.81 2.26
Std. Error of Mean 0.28 0.34 0.48 0.85 14.121 0.65 0.08
Interactive effect of Si and vermicmpost
Control 2.61 6.97 9.41 16.42 214.61 23.85 2.27
Silicon + Vermi Compost (1 g.kg-1) 1.18 6.38 10.32 12.83 235.45 24.79 2.31
Silicon + Vermi Compost (2 g.kg-1) 1.07 6.55 10.51 14.75 154.32 25.79 2.21
Rice variety
Shatabdi 1.98 6.32 9.03 16.06 183.3 24.20 2.25
Muktasree 1.26 6.95 11.13 13.28 219.6 25.42 2.27
Silicon (as Calcium Silicate)
0 2.61 6.97 9.41 16.42 214.61 23.85 2.27
500 mg.kg-1 1.12 6.47 10.42 13.79 194.89 25.29 2.26

CONCLUSIONS
Soil characteristics, apart from their total or extractable As content, play important role in the
uptake of As by rice plants and varieties also differ in their ability to exclude As in the
contaminated environment. Application of vermicompost as well as silicon can effectively
reduce As uptake in different plant parts especially, rice grains and could be important viable
option.
REFERENCES
Pikaray, S., Banerjee, S. and Mukherji, S. (2005) Sorption of arsenic onto Vindhyan shales:
Role of pyrite and organic carbon. Curr. Sci. 88:1580–1585.
Bogdan, K.and Schenk, M. K. (2008) Arsenic in rice (Oryza sativa L.) related to dynamics of
arsenic and silicic acid in paddy soils. Environ. Sci. Technol. 42: 7885–7890.
Huq, S. M. I. and Naidu R. (2003) Arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh: contamination in the
food chain. In: Ahmed MF, editor. Arsenic contamination: Bangladesh perspective.
Bangladesh: Dhaka, p. 203–226.