Leveraging machine learning for sustainable cultivation of Zn-enriched crops in Cd-contaminated karst regions

Karst soils often exhibit elevated zinc (Zn) levels, providing an opportunity to cultivate Zn-enriched crops. (meanwhile) However, these soils also frequently contain high background levels of toxic metals, particularly cadmium (Cd), posing potential health risks. Understanding the bioaccumulation of Cd and Zn and the related drivers in a high geochemical background area can provide important insights for the safe development of Zn-enriched crops. Traditional models often struggle to accurately predict metal levels in crop systems grown on soils with high geochemical background. This study employed machine learning models, including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), to explore effective strategies for sustainable cultivation of Zn-enriched crops in karst regions, focusing on bioaccumulation factors (BAF). A total of 10,986 topsoil samples and 181 paired rhizosphere soil-crop samples, including early rice, late rice, and maize, were collected from a karst region in Guangxi. The SVM and XGBoost models demonstrated superior performance, achieving R2 values of 0.84 and 0.60 for estimating the BAFs of Zn and Cd, respectively. Key determinants of the BAFs were identified, including soil iron and manganese contents, pH level, and the interaction between Zn and Cd. By integrating these soil properties with machine learning, a framework for the safe cultivation of Zn-enriched crops was developed. This research contributes to the development of strategies for mitigating Zn deficiency in crops grown on Cd-contaminated soils. [Display omitted] •The spatial distributions of the BAFCd and BAFZn were revealed in a karst area.•Machine learning models can predict the BAFs of Cd and Zn in soil-crop systems.•Soil TFe2O3 and Mn were the main factors determining the BAFs of Cd and Zn.•A novel framework was proposed to facilitate the cultivation of Zn-enriched crops.