Response of Cadmium Uptake in Different Barley Genotypes to Cadmium Level

Abstract

ABSTRACT A greenhouse hydroponic experiment was performed out to study the cadmium (Cd) uptake by four different barley cultivars at two Cd levels. The results showed that Cd concentrations in roots and shoots increased with Cd levels in the solution and Cd concentration in roots was much higher than that in shoots. The amount of Cd accumulated by plants increased continually with the duration of treatment, and the highest Cd concentration in roots and aboveground tissues was found approximately at the 100th and 70th day after Cd addition, respectively. Genotypes differed significantly in relation to Cd concentration in roots and aboveground tissues. Wumaoliuling showed a higher Cd concentration than the other three genotypes, while Mimai 114 had the lowest concentration. Cadmium uptake rate per plant increased slowly before the booting stage, then increased sharply during the 70–100 d period (approximately late elongation to booting stage), and after that Cd uptake rate tended to slow dramatically. However, the Cd uptake rate per unit of dry biomass showed a significant reduction after booting stage (70 d after Cd exposure), and the Cd uptake pattern varied by Cd levels in the medium. At the lower Cd level (0.1 μM), there were two peaks in Cd uptake rate, appearing at the seedling (20–30 d after Cd exposure) and stem elongation stages (50–70 d after Cd exposure), respectively, while there was only one peak at the stem elongation stage at the higher Cd level (1 μ M).