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Effect of cadmium on growth and photosynthesis of tomato seedlings

  • Biotechnology and Biomedicine
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Abstract

A hydroponic experiment carried out to study the effect of five Cd levels on growth and photosynthesis of two tomato cultivars showed that the addition of 0.1 μmol/L Cd induced a slight increase in plant height of Hezuo 903 and the SPAD (the Soil-Plant Analyses Development) value of the 2 cultivars. However, at higher Cd levels, i.e., 1 and 10 μmol/L, root length and volume, plant height, and SPAD value were all significantly reduced. On an average of the 2 cultivars, exposure to 1 and 10 μmol/L Cd for 33 d reduced plant height by 18.9% and 46.4% and SPAD value by 11.2% and 31.6%, compared with control, respectively. Similarly, root length was reduced by 41.1% and 25.8% and root volume by 45.2% and 63.7%, respectively. The addition of Cd in the growth medium also had significant deleterious effect on net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and intracellular CO2 concentration (Ci), withPn being reduced by 27.2% and 62.1% at 1 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L Cd treatments compared to the control, respectively, whileCi increased correspondingly by 28.4% and 39.3%.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, Zhejiang University, 310029, Hangzhou, China

    Dong Jing, Wu Fei-bo & Zhang Guo-ping

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  1. Dong Jing
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  2. Wu Fei-bo
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  3. Zhang Guo-ping
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Correspondence to Zhang Guo-ping.

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Project (No. M303355) supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China

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Jing, D., Fei-bo, W. & Guo-ping, Z. Effect of cadmium on growth and photosynthesis of tomato seedlings. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B 6, 974–980 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02888488

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02888488

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