The effect of Ni on concentration of the most abundant essential cations in several Brassica species

Abstract

Some plants from the genus Brassica have the ability to tolerate excessive concentrations of heavy metals, including Ni. Considering the fact that Ni is a very toxic element for living beings we wanted to examine its influence on some species from genus Brassicaceae. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Ni on distribution and accumulation of essential macronutrients from the standpoint of food quality and phytoremediation potential. Experiments were performed using winter (W) and spring (S) varieties of rapeseed (Brassica napus, L.), white mustard (Brassica alba, L.), black mustard (Brassica nigra, L.) and turnip (Brassica rapa, L.). The seeds were exposed to 10 ?M Ni from the beginning of germination. Plants were grown in water cultures, in semi-controlled conditions of a greenhouse, on ? strength Hoagland solution to which was added Ni in the same concentration as during germination. Concentrations and distribution of Ca, Mg, K in leaf and stem were altered in the presence of increased concentration of Ni. Significant differences were found between the control and Ni-treated plants as well as among the genotypes.