Cadmium Accumulation in Theobroma cacao L. soils Adjacent to Banana Plantations, in the Buena Fe canton, Los Ríos Province

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out with the purpose of determining the accumulation of cadmium in soil of Theobroma cacao L. under the influence of banana plantations located in the Buena Fe canton, Province of Los Ríos Ecuador. Soil samples were taken at two depths 0 -20 cm and 20-40 cm, and Ca content was determined, To analyze the data, a multivariate analysis and multiple linear regression were applied and to measure the effect between variables, a complete randomized design was applied, the Tuckey Test was used (P=0.05); Finally, a comparison was made using the non-parametric Kruskal Wallis statistical test, with the help of the INFOSTAT software. It was determined that the average Cd was 2.24±1.5mg.kg1 for the depth 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm respectively and with an average of 1.88 Cd mg/kg, exceeding the maximum permissible limits. The high cadmium contents in the first layer of soil and slight decrease with depth allow us to conclude that the presence of cadmium is possibly of anthropogenic origin, so it is necessary to look for viable mitigation alternatives to reduce Cd content in soils with cocoa cultivars under the influence. of banana plantations.