Title
Study to Determine Levels of Cadmium in Cocoa Crops Applied to Inland Areas of Peru: "The Case of the Campo Verde-Honoria Tournavista Corridor"
Date Issued
15 October 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Rosales-Huamani J.A.
Sespedes-Varkarsel S.
De la Cuba L.H.
Centeno-Rojas L.
Otiniano-Zavala A.
Andrade-Choque J.
Valverde-Espinoza S.
Castillo-Sequera J.L.
Publisher(s)
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Abstract
The presence of cadmium (Cd) in cocoa crops is currently a serious problem for farmers and producers in various regions of South America. Because its exports of cocoa and derivatives to European markets are threatened by possible signs of contamination in cocoa beans for export. Territories with a low organic component predated and exploited by illegal logging, burning and the intensity of unsustainable land use is common in large Amazonian areas in countries of the region. These factors were incorporated in statistical analysis in order to relate them to the contents of Cd in soil, leaves and beans in the study areas located in Peru. Such as the Campo Verde-Honoria-Tournavista corridor (Ucayali Region and Huanuco Region). Cadmium concentrations were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. As a consequence of this study, we determined and concluded that the observed difference in distribution of Cd contents by sectors can be explained by previous land use and age of cocoa crop. Indeed, the average content of Cd in soil in all cocoa growing areas is higher than the standard established by the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment (MINAM). However, when the measurements obtained in previously predated and exploited sectors are not considered, the Hotelling's T2 simultaneous 90% confidence interval contains the value of the Peruvian standard 1.4 mg/kg. Therefore, with this information we prepare a geochemical Cd map in soils for the study area, which will help cocoa producers to identify areas that exceed the allowed Cd values. In this way, we can carry out in the future a mitigation plan for areas with Cd problems, which allows to reduce their content with major challenges to sustainable agriculture and rural development.
Volume
10
Issue
10 October
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biotecnología agrícola, Biotecnología alimentaria
Mineralogía
Protección y nutrición de las plantas
Forestal
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85094667838
Source
Agronomy
ISSN of the container
20734395
Sponsor(s)
Funding: The study was funded by the Vice-Rector for Research of the National University of Engineering.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus