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Arsenic accumulation and distribution in the tissues of inbred lines in maize (Zea mays L.)

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Abstract

We investigated arsenic (As) accumulation and distribution in four different tissues of maize, leaves, stems, bracts, and kernels. For these analyses, we used 122 elite inbred lines, which were grown in an As-contaminated area in China. The agricultural soil at the study site is highly As-contaminated (11.02 ± 0.95 mg As kg soil−1) because of excessive use of As-rich surface water for irrigation. The As concentration in the leaves was significantly positively correlated with that in stems and kernels, and the As concentration in the stems was significantly positively correlated with that in the kernels. In the 122 inbred lines, the highest average As concentration was in the leaves, followed by the stems, the bracts, and then the kernels. The range of As concentrations in leaves, stems, bracts, and kernels of the 122 inbred lines was 0.13–1.48, 0.017–0.145, 0.013–0.131, and 0.0001–0.0408 mg As kg−1, respectively. The inbred lines with low As concentrations in the kernels perhaps could be used as a parent to select an elite hybrid with low As concentration for decreasing the As damage for people and animal.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the National Nature Foundation of China (31071431) and the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agronomy, Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    Z. H. Liu, W. H. Li, H. Y. Qi, G. L. Song, D. Ding, Z. Y. Fu & J. H. Tang

  2. Institute of Food Crops, Henan Academy of Agricultural Science, Zhengzhou, 450002, China

    J. B. Liu

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  1. Z. H. Liu
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  2. W. H. Li
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Correspondence to J. H. Tang.

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Z. H. Liu and W. H. Li contributed equally to this work.

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Liu, Z.H., Li, W.H., Qi, H.Y. et al. Arsenic accumulation and distribution in the tissues of inbred lines in maize (Zea mays L.). Genet Resour Crop Evol 59, 1705–1711 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-012-9792-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-012-9792-z

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