Does Nutritional Importance Determine Element Uptake by Plants? Comparative Bioaccumulation and Translocation of S, Mo, and Li in Five Vegetable Crops

Abstract

Soil nutrient content is crucial for plant development. While macronutrients are essential, micronutrients are needed in lower concentrations. Non-essential elements exist, but their uptake and accumulation in plant organs remain poorly studied. Therefore, this study analyzed the concentrations of sulfur (S, a macronutrient), molybdenum (Mo, a micronutrient), and lithium (Li, a non-essential element) in the roots, stems, leaves, and fruits of tomato, cucumber, pepper, maize, and eggplant. Additionally, soil element concentrations were determined, and bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) values were calculated. The key findings were as follows: the highest S concentration was detected in tomato leaves (8620 ppm), while the highest Mo and Li concentrations were found in maize roots (18440 ppb and 17300 ppb, respectively). The highest TF values were recorded in tomato leaves for all three elements: S (8.39), Mo (1.20), and Li (0.75). The results demonstrate that S is intensively taken up from the soil and accumulates significantly in crop organs. In contrast, while Mo and Li are present in high concentrations in the soil, their accumulation in crop organs remains much more limited. Overall, these results were consistent with a hypothesis that crops take up soil elements primarily in the amounts they need as building blocks.