Relationship between Soil Properties, Content and Dynamics of Cadmium in Creole Cocoa Genotype Grown Organically in Bocas del Toro – Panama
Authors: Villalaz Pérez Jhon Alexander , Villarreal Núñez José Ezequiel , Santo Pineda Adolfo , García Agustín Merino 
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Quantifying Cadmium (Cd), helps to know the excess of this element harmful to human health.

Objectives: Determine the concentrations of Cd and its relationship with the management and properties of the soil, leaf tissue, fruit and cocoa beans grown organically in small farms of producers in the district of Almirante, and to study the dynamics of this element in a Creole cocoa genotype AS-CP 26-61 (mulatto).

Places and Duration of the Study: The research was carried out during the years 2019 to 2021, in 16 sites of farms of cocoa producers, organically grown, in Almirante, province of Bocas del Toro and the second, was in a house of vegetation, located in the facilities of the Institute of Agricultural Innovation of Panama, in the town of Divisa, corregimiento of Los Canelos, district of Santa María, province of Herrera, Republic of Panama.

Methodologies: The samples were carried out in the16 farm sites in a systematic way selecting points at uniform distances in an area of 300 m2 with replicas (15 subsamples at depths of 0.30 m), within these areas the samples of leaves and fruits were taken. In the dynamics of the Cd, which was carried out in the creole cocoa genotype AS-CP 26-61 (mulatto), the soil was transferred from a representative area of the Almirante district to a depth of 0.30 m, filling pots with a capacity of 15 kg of dry soil. A completely random design was used, with six (6) treatments and three (3) repetitions. The treatments were (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 mgCdkg-1) inoculated the soils with cadmium sulfate. Soil samples were taken at two depths (0 to 0.15 m and 0.15 to 0.30 m); followed for plants (roots, stems and leaves), all extracted six (6) months after applying the treatments. Total and bioavailable Cd, Ca, Mg, soil texture, pH, soil organic matter, total foliar Cd, fruits and grains were measured. The analysis of the data was by the Infostat statistician. Soil organic matter was determined by Walkley and Black and total concentrations by USEPA method 3051 A; instead, the bioavailable Cd and K were determined by Mehlich 3; Ca and Mg per KCl; texture by Boyoucos.

Results: As results in the 16 sites, the total and bioavailable Cd in the soil did not exceed the toxic levels for agricultural soils. On the other hand, the average levels of total Cd in the fruits and grains, did not present absorptions greater than 0.6 mgkg-1. While for the dynamics of Cd in the Creole cocoa genotype AS-CP 26-61 the maximum absorption form is presented by the leaves > roots > stem.

Conclusion: By increasing the organic matter of the soil, it helps to block the concentrations of Cd in the leaves, fruits and grains; the levels of concentrations of Cd in the grain, do not exceed the maximum limits allowed according to the E.U. The use of the Creole genotype AS-CP 26-61 helped us to know in which part of the plant the concentrations of Cd are most concentrated.