Corn Cultivation for Silage: Evaluation of Elemental Composition in the Soil and Plants by Neutron Activation Analysis

Corn cultivation for silage requires special soil management and constant applications of fertilizers and agricultural pesticides to achieve satisfactory yield levels. This study was carried out on a farm that has grown corn for several years. The soil does not have adequate management in terms of fertility and fertilization. The matrices collected were soil, roots, leaves and grains in a corn silage area to investigate which chemical elements are present and their concentrations. The neutron activation analysis (NAA) by k0-standardization method was applied on elemental concentration determination. In this technique, the sample is submitted to a neutron flux, in order to produce radioactive isotopes of the nuclei present in the original sample. In the k0 method, the sample is irradiated together with a neutron flux monitor, usually gold (Au), in the same irradiation position and standards of the interested element are not necessary. Several samples can be irradiated simultaneously when stacked inside the irradiation vessel, intercalated with neutron flux monitors. The irradiations were carried out in the TRIGA MARK I IPR-R1 research reactor at Nuclear Technology Development Centre/Brazilian Commission for Nuclear Energy (CDTN / CNEN). In the analysis, As, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Mo, Na, Nd, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, U, Yb and Zn were identified in the samples. Although the site studied lacks adequate management of soil fertility and fertilization, Ca, Cu, K, Mo and Zn were determined and their presences are important because they are essential for corn development. Adequate content for the cultivation of silage corn were verified by assessing these nutrients and their translocation in the plant.