EFFECT OF LIMING AND MINERAL FERTILIZATION ON CADMIUM CONTENT IN GRAIN OF SPRING BARLEY (HORDEUM VULGARE L.) AND WINTER WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) CULTIVATED ON LOESSIAL SOIL

In 1986-2001, a two-factor, strict experiment was conducted on a field subjected to static fertilization, situated in the Rzeszow Foothills (Pogorze Rzeszowskie, S-E Poland). The experiment was set up in a random sub-block design with 4 replications. The first variable was liming (A) and the second one consisted of different mineral fertilization variants (B). The basic level of fertilization (N-1 P-1 K-1) was 80 kg N ha(-1), 100 kg P2O5 ha(-1) and 120 kg K2O ha(-1) under spring barley and 90 kg N ha(-1), 80 kg P2O5 ha(-1), 100 kg K2O ha(-1) under winter wheat. Liming did not prove to have any significant effect on the cadmium content in spring barley and winter wheat grain, although the latter tended to decline in response to the treatment. Mineral NPK fertilization, applied in higher doses, significantly raised the content of cadmium, especially in spring barley grain, but less in winter wheat grain. No statistical correlation was proven between the influence of liming and mineral fertilization on the cadmium content in grain of the two cereals. However, the cadmium content was generally lower in grain of cereals cultivated on fertilized objects where liming was applied.