Genotypical response of barley to increased cadmium content in soil

Abstract

The results of a comparative evaluation of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties obtained by different methods on control and provocative soil background for cadmium are presented. A total of 10 varieties were studied: Rodnik Prikamya, Novichok, Dina, Zazersky 85, Triumph, Tallon (hybridization and selection); Forward, Bionic, Vitrum (cell selection); In memory of Dudin (mutagenesis). The studies were carried out in 2021 under the climatic conditions of the Kirov region. Seeds of the plants of each variety were sown in vegetation containers filled with soddy-podzolic soil. Cadmium provocative background (6.4 ± 0.5 mg/kg) was created by adding cadmium acetate to the soil. The average yield of barley varieties in the control (soil background without cadmium) was 279 g/m2; against a provocative background – 216 g/m2. Under the conditions of cadmium stress, the yield of hybrids decreased compared to the control by 12.2 %, regenerants – by 29.6 %, mutant – by 42.4 %. Among the studied varieties, the Bionic variety, which has a regenerated origin, showed a consistently high yield both on the control (334 g/m2) and cadmium background (263 g/m2). Productive bushiness of hybrid barley varieties against the control background varied from 2.8 to 4.1; in regenerants – from 3.4 to 4.8; mutant varieties – 4.3 pieces. Under the conditions of cadmium stress, productive bushiness decreased by an average of 2.7 – in hybrids; for 3.4 – for regenerants, for 2.6 pieces – a mutant. Bionic, regardless of the soil background, compared with other varieties, had the highest productive bushiness. Significant differences in the content of polyphenols in the grain of the studied varieties on the control and provocation soil background for cadmium were not revealed. Under the conditions of cadmium stress, a decrease in the content of flavonoids in grain was noted, as well as the accumulation of cadmium (0.29–0.92 mg/kg). Varieties of hybrid origin showed the ability to accumulate cadmium in grain to a greater extent.