Abstract:

Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in plant tissues has recently gained a worldwide-growing concern due to food safety and health care. Soil salinity is an important causal agent influencing Cd accumulation in cereal grains and durum wheat is known as the most sensitive to Cd toxicity among cereals. This research is aimed at evaluating influence of soil salinity on cadmium accumulation in durum wheat grain. Influence of NaCl doses (0, 200 and 1000 mg kg-1) on Cd concentration in durum wheat grain (Triticum turgidum L. durum) grown in soils treated with Cd (0 and 1.0 mg kg-1) was established. Grain Cd concentration in control plants (without Cd and NaCl) was 21 µg kg-1, while 200 and 1000 mg kg-1 NaCl doses resulted in 60 and 75 µg kg-1 Cd with 300% and 400% increase, respectively. Grain Cd concentration in Cd-treated soil arose from 1325 µg kg-1 in the control plants to 1778 and 2411 µg kg-1 in the plants exposed to 200 and 1000 mg kg-1 NaCl, respectively. The present study reveals that soil salinity increases Cd accumulation in grain even if soil Cd level is very low. Further, cadmium is transported to grain easily and soil salinity enhances such carriage in Cd-contaminated soils.

Keywords: