Suppressing radiocesium uptake and root-to-shoot translocation in crops: Molecular, agronomic, and ecological strategies.
6 affiliations
- 1Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan. [email protected].
- 2Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan.
- 3Faculty of Science, Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, 4331, Bangladesh.
- 4Graduate School of Symbiotic Systems Science and Technology, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima-shi, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan.
- 5Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, 4331, Bangladesh.
- 6Forest Biomass Chemical Innovation Unit, Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI), 6-1 Yazawa-machi, Gongendo, Namie Town, Futaba County, Fukushima, 979-1521, Japan. [email protected].
Abstract
Radiocesium (r-Cs: ¹³⁷Cs) from the Fukushima Daiichi accident and earlier nuclear fallout remains a long-term contaminant in agricultural soils. It poses an ongoing threat to global food safety because crops readily absorb it as a potassium analog. This review synthesizes a decade of mechanistic, agronomic, and ecological advances in suppressing r-Cs uptake and root-to-shoot translocation. First, the impact of soil mineralogy, particularly clay fixation, on initial r-Cs bioavailability is examined. At the molecular level, r-Cs influx is governed by a shared calcium-signaling hub linked to potassium status. Consequently, optimizing potassium fertilization can transcriptionally silence the principal uptake genes. Furthermore, controlling xylem loading and managing internal sodium interactions directly restrict r-Cs translocation, protecting edible plant parts. Supplementary countermeasures, including plant-microbe symbioses, porous soil amendments, and targeted genetic exclusions, are also evaluated. To ensure long-term agricultural resilience, multi-site field trials and the molecular dissection of translocation pathways must be prioritized in future research. Ultimately, sustainable crop production requires integrating biological and agronomic strategies rather than relying solely on intensive potassium fertilization.
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BibTeX
@article{rahman2026suppressing,
title = {{Suppressing radiocesium uptake and root-to-shoot translocation in crops: Molecular, agronomic, and ecological strategies.}},
author = {Ismail Rahman and Bayezid M Khan and Iqbal Hossen and Zinnat Rahman},
journal = {Environmental geochemistry and health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s10653-026-03520-1},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42900253},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Suppressing radiocesium uptake and root-to-shoot translocation in crops: Molecular, agronomic, and ecological strategies.
AU - Ismail Rahman
AU - Bayezid M Khan
AU - Iqbal Hossen
AU - Zinnat Rahman
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Environmental geochemistry and health
DO - 10.1007/s10653-026-03520-1
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42900253
AB - Radiocesium (r-Cs: ¹³⁷Cs) from the Fukushima Daiichi accident and earlier nuclear fallout remains a long-term contaminant in agricultural soils. It poses an ongoing threat to global food safety because crops readily absorb it as a potassium analog. This review synthesizes a decade of mechanistic, agronomic, and ecological advances in suppressing r-Cs uptake and root-to-shoot translocation. First, the impact of soil mineralogy, particularly clay fixation, on initial r-Cs bioavailability is examined. At the molecular level, r-Cs influx is governed by a shared calcium-signaling hub linked to potassium status. Consequently, optimizing potassium fertilization can transcriptionally silence the principal uptake genes. Furthermore, controlling xylem loading and managing internal sodium interactions directly restrict r-Cs translocation, protecting edible plant parts. Supplementary countermeasures, including plant-microbe symbioses, porous soil amendments, and targeted genetic exclusions, are also evaluated. To ensure long-term agricultural resilience, multi-site field trials and the molecular dissection of translocation pathways must be prioritized in future research. Ultimately, sustainable crop production requires integrating biological and agronomic strategies rather than relying solely on intensive potassium fertilization.
SN - 0269-4042
SN - 1573-2983
ER -