title: Biotransfer of Cd along a soil-plant- mealybug-ladybird food chain: A comparison with host plants.
abstract: Agro-ecosystem contamination by the heavy metals present in different agricultural products is a serious challenge faced by the living organisms. This study explains the cadmium (Cd) transfer from soils contaminated with different cadmium concentrations through a plant (eggplant and tomato) - mealybug (Dysmicoccus neobrevipes) - predator (Cryptolaemus-montrouzieri) food chain. The soils were amended with Cd at the rates of 0, 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg (w/w). Our findings showed that considerably higher Cd transfer through tomato plant. Cadmium was biomagnified during soil-root transfer while bio-minimization of Cd was observed for shoot-mealybug - ladybird transfer. Our results further showed sequestration of Cd during the metamorphosis of ladybird beetle whilst transfer of Cd through soil-plant-mealybug-ladybird multi-trophic food chain increased in a dose dependent manner. Our results emphasize the need of further studies to elaborate possible mechanisms of Cd bio-minimization by plants, mealybugs and ladybirds observed during this study.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biopesticide Innovation and Application, Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Agricultural Pest Biocontrol Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
authors.forename: Xingmin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biopesticide Innovation and Application, Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Agricultural Pest Biocontrol Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biopesticide Innovation and Application, Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Agricultural Pest Biocontrol Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
authors.forename: Baoli
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Crop Cultivation in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, PR China, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
authors.forename: Umair
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biopesticide Innovation and Application, Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Agricultural Pest Biocontrol Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Azad
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biopesticide Innovation and Application, Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Agricultural Pest Biocontrol Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biopesticide Innovation and Application, Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Agricultural Pest Biocontrol Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, PR China; Guangdong Engineering Research Centre of Microbial Pesticides, Guangdong New Scene Biological Engineering Co. Ltd, Yangjiang, 529932, PR China. Electronic address: aliscau@scau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shaukat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D017753:Ecosystem; D020387:Food Chain; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D032323:Solanum melongena / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Bio-transfer; Cadmium; Contamination; Food chain; Plants