Abstract
Leafy vegetables are among the crop species that are most vulnerable to heavy metal pollution. This study investigated inter- and intraspecific variations of cadmium accumulation in 13 species with a total of 39 cultivars of leafy vegetables under two levels of soil Cd stress (1.5 and 7.7 mg kg (-1)). Intraspecific variations of shoot biomass and Cd concentration of the tested leafy vegetables were significantly larger than interspecific variations under both Cd treatments and were also more significantly correlated between two Cd stress levels when grouped by cultivar than grouped by species. These results indicate that cultivar is a more reliable taxa level for screening pollutant-safe leafy vegetables than species. Any screening for pollutant hypoaccumulator species, or other similar species-based concepts, without considering intraspecific variation should be avoided.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
