Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of zinc application on Cd uptake of bread (Karacadağ) and durum (Harran-95) wheat growing in high Cd concentrations. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions in Zn-deficient calcareous soil. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with four replicates. In the experiment, Cd was applied 0 (Cd0) and 10 (Cd10) mg kg-1. The Zn application was 10 mg kg-1 Zn (soil+leaf) (10 mg kg-1 Zn + 3 applications from leaf; 10 mg kg-1 Zn + 8 applications from leaf). The Zn application was started at the end of the tillering stage in ZnSO4.7H2O form at 0.1% dose as 3 (3F) and 8 (8F) times of leaf application per a week. The plants were harvested at grain maturity stage and the Cd and Zn concentrations of grains were determined. The results revealed that Zn concentrations of both bread and durum wheat varieties were significantly increased with the soil Zn and soil+leaf Zn applications. The Cd accumulation in Harran-95 variety with soil Cd treatment was higher than that of Karacadağ variety. The Cd concentration (31 μg kg-1) in the control conditions of Karacadağ varieties increased to 3.616 μg kg-1 in Cd 10 conditions, which was 70 μg kg-1 in control conditions of Harran variety and increased to 8.434 μg kg-1 in Cd10 conditions. However, soil and leaf Zn applications have significantly reduced the grain Cd concentrations of durum wheat variety. Cadmium concentration in Harran-95 cultivar at Cd10 dose was 8.434 μg kg-1 before addition of Zn, and it was decreased to 6.464 μg kg-1, to 7.932 μg kg-1 and to 6.745 μg kg-1 with Zn10, Zn10+3Y and Zn10+8Y applications, respectively. The results showed that the durum wheat variety removed higher Cd than the bread wheat variety. In addition, the decrease in grain Cd concentrations was the highest in durum wheat variety with the soil and leaf Zn applications.

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