Effect of soil contamination with fluorine on the content of phosphorus in biomass of crops

The purpose of this study has been to determine the effect of soil contamination with fluorine on the content of phosphorus in crops. Alongside the simulated fluorine soil pollution, substances neutralizing this xenobiotic, such as lime, charcoal and loam, were applied to soil. Depending on the sensitivity of the plants, the degree of soil pollution with fluorine was: 1) 0, 20, 40 and 60 mg F kg-1 of soil under sensitive crops, i.e. narrow-leaf lupine; 2) 0, 50, 100 and 150 mg F kg-1 of soil under moderately sensitive crops, i.e. seed lucerne; 3) 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg F kg-1 of soil under more tolerant crops, i.e. maize, winter oilseed rape, spring triticale, black radish and phacelia. The content of phosphorus varied, depending on the level of soil contamination with fluorine and substances applied to inactivate this element, as well as on the species and organ of the examined plants. An increasing degree of soil pollution with fluorine contributed to raising the phosphorus content in black radish, in aerial biomass of yellow lupine and in roots of spring triticale. Regarding the maize roots, a reverse dependence was recorded. The highest phosphorus content appeared in roots of winter oilseed rape (8.16 g P kg-1 d.m.) and black radish (7.33 g P kg-1 d.m.), while the lowest one was in roots of spring triticale (0.86 g P kg-1 d.m.). Overall, the applied neutralizing substances resulted in lower concentrations of phosphorus in the analyzed plant organs, with the most univocal influence achieved in aerial biomass of yellow lupine, in roots of narrow-leaf lupine, in aerial mass and roots of black radish and in aerial biomass from the first cut of seed lucerne. In respect of the other plants, the impact of the neutralizing substances on the content of phosphorus was also significant albeit dependent on their species.