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Agronomy
Volume 15
Issue 11
10.3390/agronomy15112467
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Differential Effects of Four Materials on Soil Properties and Phaseolus coccineus L. Growth in Contaminated Farmlands in Alpine Lead–Zinc Mining Areas, Southwest China

by
Xiuhua He
1,
Qian Yang
1,
Weixi Meng
1,
Xiaojia He
1,
Yongmei He
1,
Siteng He
1,
Qingsong Chen
2,
Fangdong Zhan
1,
Jianhua He
3,* and
Hui Bai
4,*
1
Key Laboratory for Improving Quality and Productivity of Arable Land of Yunnan Province, College of Resources and Environment, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
2
Innovation Base for Eco-Geological Evolution, Protection and Restoration of Southwest Mountainous Areas, Geological Society of China, Kunming 650111, China
3
Ecological Environment Monitoring Station in Nujiang State of Yunnan Provincial Ecological Environment Department, Lushui 673000, China
4
College of Architectural Engineering, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agronomy 2025, 15(11), 2467; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112467
Submission received: 24 September 2025 / Revised: 19 October 2025 / Accepted: 21 October 2025 / Published: 23 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Soil and Plant Nutrition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Soils in alpine mining areas suffer from severe heavy metal contamination and infertility, yet little is known about the effects of different materials on soil improvement in such regions. In this study, a field experiment was conducted in farmlands contaminated by the Lanping lead–zinc mine in Yunnan, China, to compare the effects of four materials (biochar, organic fertilizer, lime, and sepiolite) on soil properties, heavy metal (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) fractions and their availability, and the growth of Phaseolus coccineus L. Results showed that biochar and organic fertilizer significantly enhanced soil nutrient content and enzyme activities. Lime, biochar, and sepiolite effectively reduced heavy metal bioavailability by promoting their transition to residual fractions. Notably, biochar outperformed other materials by substantially increasing grain yield (by 82%), improving nutritional quality (sugars, protein, and starch contents raised by 20–88%), and reducing heavy metal accumulation in grains (by 36–50%). A comprehensive evaluation based on subordinate function values confirmed biochar as the most effective amendment. Structural equation modeling further revealed that biochar promoted plant growth and grain quality primarily by enhancing soil available nutrients and immobilizing heavy metals. These findings demonstrate the strong potential of biochar for remediating heavy metal-contaminated farmlands in alpine lead–zinc mining regions.
Keywords: biochar remediation; heavy metal contamination; alpine mining areas; soil properties; plant growth biochar remediation; heavy metal contamination; alpine mining areas; soil properties; plant growth

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

He, X.; Yang, Q.; Meng, W.; He, X.; He, Y.; He, S.; Chen, Q.; Zhan, F.; He, J.; Bai, H. Differential Effects of Four Materials on Soil Properties and Phaseolus coccineus L. Growth in Contaminated Farmlands in Alpine Lead–Zinc Mining Areas, Southwest China. Agronomy 2025, 15, 2467. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112467

AMA Style

He X, Yang Q, Meng W, He X, He Y, He S, Chen Q, Zhan F, He J, Bai H. Differential Effects of Four Materials on Soil Properties and Phaseolus coccineus L. Growth in Contaminated Farmlands in Alpine Lead–Zinc Mining Areas, Southwest China. Agronomy. 2025; 15(11):2467. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112467

Chicago/Turabian Style

He, Xiuhua, Qian Yang, Weixi Meng, Xiaojia He, Yongmei He, Siteng He, Qingsong Chen, Fangdong Zhan, Jianhua He, and Hui Bai. 2025. "Differential Effects of Four Materials on Soil Properties and Phaseolus coccineus L. Growth in Contaminated Farmlands in Alpine Lead–Zinc Mining Areas, Southwest China" Agronomy 15, no. 11: 2467. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112467

APA Style

He, X., Yang, Q., Meng, W., He, X., He, Y., He, S., Chen, Q., Zhan, F., He, J., & Bai, H. (2025). Differential Effects of Four Materials on Soil Properties and Phaseolus coccineus L. Growth in Contaminated Farmlands in Alpine Lead–Zinc Mining Areas, Southwest China. Agronomy, 15(11), 2467. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15112467

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