Abstract
Seedlings of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars Jing 411, Jinmai 30 and Yangmai 10 were exposed to 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 μM of CdCl2 in a solution culture experiment. The effects of cadmium (Cd) stress on wheat growth, leaf photon energy conversion, gas exchange, and Cd accumulation in wheat seedlings were investigated. Gas exchange was monitored at 3, 9, 24 days after treatment (DAT). Growth parameters, chlorophyll content, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, and Cd concentration in shoot and root were measured at 24 DAT. Seedling growth, gas exchange, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were generally depressed by Cd stress, especially under the high Cd concentrations. Cd concentration and accumulation in both shoots and roots increased with increasing external Cd concentrations. Relationships between corrected parameters of growth, photosynthesis and fluorescence and corrected Cd concentrations in shoots and roots could be explained by the regression model Y = K/(1 + exp(a + bX)). Jing 411 was found to be Cd tolerant considering parameters of chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence in which less Cd translocation was from roots into shoots. The high Cd concentrations were in shoots and roots in Yangmai 10 which has been found to be a relative Cd tolerant cultivar in terms of most growth parameters.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams ML, Zhao FJ, McGrath SP, Nicholson FA, Chambers BJ (2004) Predicting cadmium concentrations in wheat and barley grain using soil properties. J Environ Qual 33:532–541
Baker AJM, Walker PI (1989) Physiological responses of plants to heavy metals and the quantification of tolerance and toxicity. Chem Spec Bioavailab 1:7–17
Baker NR, Farage PK, Stirling CM, Long SP (1994) Photoinhibition of crop photosynthesis in the field at low temperatures. In: Baker NR, Bowyer JR (eds) Photoinhibition of photosynthesis from molecular mechanisms to the field. Bios Scientific Publisher, Oxford, pp 349–364
Chugh LK, Sawhney SK (1999) Photosynthetic activities of Pisum sativum seedlings grown in presence of cadmium. Plant Physiol Biochem 37:297–303
Dell’Amico E, Cavalca L, Andreoni V (2008) Improvement of Brassica napus growth under cadmium stress by cadmium-resistant rhizobacteria. Soil Biol Biochem 40:74–84
Deniz T, Yasemin E, Unalan S (2007) Changes in photochemical and antioxidant enzyme activities in maize (Zea mays L.) leaves exposed to excess copper. Chemosphere 67:89–98
Drazkiewicz M, Baszynski T (2005) Growth parameters and photosynthetic pigments in leaf segments of Zea mays exposed to cadmium, as related to protection mechanisms. J Plant Physiol 162:1013–1021
Fang R (1991) Application of atomic absorption spectroscopy in sanitary test. Beijing University Press, Beijing, pp 148–158
Han SH, Lee JC, Oh CY, Kim PG (2006) Alleviation of Cd toxicity by composted sewage sludge in Cd-treated Schmidt birch (Betula schmidtii) seedlings. Chemosphere 65:541–546
Krantev A, Yordanova R, Janda T, Szalai G, Popova L (2008) Treatment with salicylic acid decreases the effect of cadmium on photosynthesis in maize plants. J Plant Physiol 165:920–930
Leipner J, Fracheboud Y, Stamp P (1997) Acclimation by suboptimal growth temperature diminishes photooxidative damage in maize leaves. Plant Cell Environ 20:366–372
Li P, Cai R, Gao H, Peng T, Wang Z (2007) Partitioning of excitation energy in two wheat cultivars with different grain protein contents grown under three nitrogen applications in the field. Physiol Plant 129:822–829
Li M, Zhang LJ, Tao L, Li W (2008) Ecophysiological responses of Jussiaea rapens to cadmium exposure. Aquat Bot 88:347–352
Lin R, Wang X, Luo Y, Du W, Guo H, Yin D (2007) Effects of soil cadmium on growth, oxidative stress and antioxidant system in wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L.). Chemosphere 69:89–98
Maksymiec W, Krupa Z (2006) The effects of short-term exposition to Cd, excess Cu ions and jasmonate on oxidative stress appearing in Arabidopsis thaliana. Environ Exp Bot 57:187–194
Maxwell K, Johnson GN (2000) Chlorophyll fluorescence—a practical guide. J Exp Bot 51:659–668
Mobin M, Khan NA (2007) Photosynthetic activity, pigment composition and antioxidative response of two mustard (Brassica juncea) cultivars differing in photosynthetic capacity subjected to cadmium stress. J Plant Physiol 164:601–610
Norvell WA, Wu J, Hopkins DG, Welch RM (2000) Association of cadmium in durum wheat grain with soil chloride and chelate-extractable soil cadmium. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:2162–2168
Pagliano C, Raviolo M, Dalla Vecchia F, Gabbrielli R, Gonnelli C, Rascio N, Barbato R, La Rocca N (2006) Evidence for PSII donor-side damage and photoinhibition induced by cadmium treatment on rice (Oryza sativa L.). J Photoch Photobio B 84:70–78
Papazoglou EG, Karantounias GA, Vemmos SN, Bouranis DL (2001) Photosynthesis and growth responses of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) to the heavy metals Cd and Ni. Environ Int 31:243–249
Pietrini F, Iannelli MA, Pasqualini S, Massacci A (2003) Interaction of cadmium with glutathione and photosynthesis in developing leaves and chloroplasts of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel. Plant Physiol 133:829–837
Prasad SM, Singh JB, Rai LC, Kumar HD (1991) Metal-induced inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport chain of the cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum. FEMS Microbiol Lett 82:95–100
Qian H, Li J, Sun L, Chen W, Sheng GD, Liu W, Fu Z (2009) Combined effect of copper and cadmium on Chlorella vulgaris growth and photosynthesis-related gene transcription. Aquat Toxicol 94:56–61
Rai V, Khatoon S, Bisht SS, Mehrotra S (2005) Effect of cadmium on growth, ultramorphology of leaf and secondary metabolites of Phyllanthus amarus Schum and Thonn. Chemosphere 61:1644–1650
Sarijeva G, Knapp M, Lichtenthaler HK (2007) Differences in photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll and carotenoid level, and in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in green sun and shade leaves of Ginkgo and Fagus. J Plant Physiol 164:950–955
Satyakala G (1997) Studies on the effect of heavy metal pollution on Pistia stratiotes L. (water lettuce). Indian J Environ Health 39:1–7
Sun Y, Zhou Q, Diao C (2008) Effects of cadmium and arsenic on growth and metal accumulation of Cd-hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. Bioresource Technol 99:1103–1110
Watanabe M, Suzuki T (2002) Involvement of reactive oxygen stress in cadmium-induced cellular damage in Euglena gracilis. Comp Biocthem Phys C 131:491–500
Wu F, Zhang G, Dominy P, Wu H, Bachir DML (2007) Differences in yield components and kernel Cd accumulation in response to Cd toxicity in four barley genotypes. Chemosphere 70:83–92
Zhou W, Juneau P, Qiu B (2006) Growth and photosynthetic responses of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to elevated levels of cadmium. Chemosphere 65:1738–1746
Acknowledgments
This study was funded by projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China (30671216 and 30700483), the International Cooperation Research Fund of Jiangsu Province (BZ2008329), the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (20050307006), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (06-0493), and the earmarked fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System (nycytx-03).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by G. Klobus.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ci, D., Jiang, D., Wollenweber, B. et al. Cadmium stress in wheat seedlings: growth, cadmium accumulation and photosynthesis. Acta Physiol Plant 32, 365–373 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-009-0414-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-009-0414-0