Effect of cadmium on germination and growth of wheat

Abstract

In this study, the effect of Cd on the germination, growth of seedlings and composition of plants deriving from contaminated grains, grown in the field, was ex?amined. Wheat grains were soaked in Cd-containing solutions: 0 (control, deionized water), 10-5, 10-4, 10-3, and 10-2 M CdCl2 during 24h. One portion of grains was used to test germi?nation and seedling growth, while the other was sown in the field. The concentration of Cd in the grains almost linearly increased with the increase in the applied concentrations of Cd, which reduced the germination and energy of germination and increased the proportion of atypical seedlings. Larger concentrations of Cd significantly impaired the growth of seedlings (length of the shoots and roots, dry matter mass). In the grains of the field-grown plants the concentrations of N, P, and K were not affected by Cd, but their concentrations in the straw declined (especially of N). These results suggest that the emergence and development of plants on the soil polluted by Cd are likely to be significantly limited and yield reduced.