126
Correlation coefficients between the volume of the uranium accumulation in the
grain and the vegetative mass of peas and the soil pH were 0.480 and 0.739, respectively. The increase in the migration capacity of uranium under alkaline conditions
was associated with the formation of soluble uranyl carbonate complexes (Malikov
et al. 1988b).
To date, information on the effect of various quantities and types of mineral fertilisers on the transfer of
238
U to crops is not enough, and the results obtained in
greenhouse experiments cannot be recommended for use in the field. According to
the work of Malikov et al. (1988b), in the conditions of greenhouse experiment, it
was established that the application of compound mineral fertiliser and various
combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on the leached chernozem of
the North Caucasus raised the accumulation of
238
U in the grain of spring wheat by
1.1–1.4 times. In the field, the application of mineral and organic fertilisers on typical sierozem, both in their combination and separately, significantly reduced the
intake of the radionuclide in the yield of oats, barley and cotton by a factor of
1.5–3.
4 The Results of Experimental Studies on the Accumulation
of
238
U in the Yield of Cereals on Different Soils
with the Application of Mineral Fertilisers
and Ameliorants
Factors influencing the transfer of heavy natural radionuclides into plants are their
physical and chemical properties, concentrations in the soil, agrochemical properties of soils, biological features of plants and natural and climatic conditions for
cultivating crops on contaminated lands.
An experimental evaluation of the influence of agrochemical techniques of cultivating grain crops (oats and barley) on the intake of
238
U into plants and accumulation in the yield was carried out on different soils of the non-chernozem zone of
Russia under the field conditions in microplot tests. In the field, the influence of a
compound mineral fertiliser on the accumulation of
238
U in the barley crop on two
soil types (seven soil varieties) was studied. Studies on the effect of various quantities of mineral fertilisers, lime and humus on the productivity of oats and barley, the
entrance of
238
U into the plant and its removal at harvesting were carried out on sodpodzolic sandy loam soil.
238
U was applied to the soil surface in a soluble form of
uranyl chloride, and then the soil was trenched on the ploughing depth of 0–20 cm.
The soil contamination density of
238
U in all experiments was 187.5 kBq m
−2
. Oats
and barley were cultivated according to a typical flow process chart. The seeds in all
the experiments were planted in rows. Harvesting was carried out in a phase of full
ripeness. The content of
238
U in soils before the experiments’ establishment was
17.5–38.5 Bq kg
−1
, depending on the soil properties.
A. N. Ratnikov et al.
Correlation coefficients between the volume of the uranium accumulation in the
grain and the vegetative mass of peas and the soil pH were 0.480 and 0.739, respectively. The increase in the migration capacity of uranium under alkaline conditions
was associated with the formation of soluble uranyl carbonate complexes (Malikov
et al. 1988b).
To date, information on the effect of various quantities and types of mineral fertilisers on the transfer of
238
U to crops is not enough, and the results obtained in
greenhouse experiments cannot be recommended for use in the field. According to
the work of Malikov et al. (1988b), in the conditions of greenhouse experiment, it
was established that the application of compound mineral fertiliser and various
combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on the leached chernozem of
the North Caucasus raised the accumulation of
238
U in the grain of spring wheat by
1.1–1.4 times. In the field, the application of mineral and organic fertilisers on typical sierozem, both in their combination and separately, significantly reduced the
intake of the radionuclide in the yield of oats, barley and cotton by a factor of
1.5–3.
4 The Results of Experimental Studies on the Accumulation
of
238
U in the Yield of Cereals on Different Soils
with the Application of Mineral Fertilisers
and Ameliorants
Factors influencing the transfer of heavy natural radionuclides into plants are their
physical and chemical properties, concentrations in the soil, agrochemical properties of soils, biological features of plants and natural and climatic conditions for
cultivating crops on contaminated lands.
An experimental evaluation of the influence of agrochemical techniques of cultivating grain crops (oats and barley) on the intake of
238
U into plants and accumulation in the yield was carried out on different soils of the non-chernozem zone of
Russia under the field conditions in microplot tests. In the field, the influence of a
compound mineral fertiliser on the accumulation of
238
U in the barley crop on two
soil types (seven soil varieties) was studied. Studies on the effect of various quantities of mineral fertilisers, lime and humus on the productivity of oats and barley, the
entrance of
238
U into the plant and its removal at harvesting were carried out on sodpodzolic sandy loam soil.
238
U was applied to the soil surface in a soluble form of
uranyl chloride, and then the soil was trenched on the ploughing depth of 0–20 cm.
The soil contamination density of
238
U in all experiments was 187.5 kBq m
−2
. Oats
and barley were cultivated according to a typical flow process chart. The seeds in all
the experiments were planted in rows. Harvesting was carried out in a phase of full
ripeness. The content of
238
U in soils before the experiments’ establishment was
17.5–38.5 Bq kg
−1
, depending on the soil properties.
A. N. Ratnikov et al.