Abstract
The heavy metal contamination of soils is a serious environmental issue because excessive metal concentrations pose risks to the health of humans, animals, and plants. For this reason, the interest in understanding the toxic effects of metals on crop growth and physiology has increased in the last decades. A pot trial was performed in a greenhouse to evaluate the effects of contaminated soil with different concentrations of cadmium (Cd) or chromium (Cr) on barley growth and development. Two cultivars of barley were studied, Pedrezuela and CB502. Growth, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and relative water content (RWC) were analyzed during the plant-growing period. After harvesting, the Cd and Cr contents in plant were analyzed. No significant differences were observed for chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence between control plants and those treated with Cd. In the case of Cr, a significant decrease of plant growth, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and RWC was detected with respect to the control. The tolerance index (TI) and translocation factor (TF) were calculated. Data indicated that both varieties are tolerant to these metals; CB502 showed higher tolerance to Cr and Pedrezuela to Cd. The effect of Cd or Cr addition on nutrient concentrations in plants varied among elements and organs of the plant analyzed. The correlations between the physiological and agronomic studied traits were significant (p < 0.01, p < 0.001), so the stress induced by these metals affected the physiology and water relations of the plant, which provoked a decrease of plant biomass, especially in the plants treated with Cr.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
McGrath SP, Zhao FJ, Lombi E (2001) Plant and rhizosphere processes involved in phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils. Plant Soil 232:207–214
Krämer U (2010) Metal hyperaccumulation in plants. Annu Rev Plant Biol 61:517–534
McGrath SP, Zhao FJ, Lombi E (2002) Phytoremediation of metals, metalloids, and radionuclides. Adv Agron 75:1–56
Nascimento CWA, **ng B (2006) Phytoextraction: a review on enhanced metal availability and plant accumulation. Sci Agric 63:299–311
Soriano MA, Federes E (2003) Use of crops for in situ phytoremediation of polluted soils following a toxic flood from a mine spill. Plant Soil 256:253–264
Salt DE, Blaylock M, Kumar N, Dushenkov V, Ensley BD, Chet I, Raskin I (1995) Phytoremediation: a novel strategy for the removal of toxic metals from the environment using plants. Nat Biotechnol 13:468–474
Lasat MM, Pence NS, Garvin DF, Ebbs SD, Kochian LV (2000) Molecular physiology of zinc transport in the Zn hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens. J Exp Bot 51:71–79
Rascio N, Navari–Izzo F (2011) Heavy metal hyperaccumulating plants: how and why do they do it? And what makes them so interesting? Plant Sci 180:169–181
Hao D, Chao M, Yin Z, Yu D (2012) Genome-wide association analysis detecting significant single nucleotide polymorphisms for chlorophyll and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in soybean (Glycine max) landraces. Euphytica 186:919–931
Kumar S, Sehgal SK, Kumar U, Prasad PV, Joshi AK, Gill BS (2012) Genomic characterization of drought tolerance-related traits in spring wheat. Euphytica 186:265–276
Clark JM, Norvell WA, Clark FR, Buckley WT (2002) Concentration of cadmium and other elements in the grain of near-isogenic durum lines. Can J Anim Sci 82:27–33
Vassilev A, Vangronsveld J, Yordanov I (2002) Cadmium phytoextraction: present state, biological backgrounds and research needs. Bulg J Plant Physiol 28:68–95
Ueno D, Koyama E, Yamaji N, Ma JF (2011) Physiological, genetic, and molecular characterization of a high-Cd-accumulating rice cultivar, Jarjan. J Exp Bot 62:2265–2272
Zhang X, Zhang G, Guo L, Wang H, Zeng D, Dong G, Qian O, Xue D (2011) Identification of quantitative trait loci for Cd and Zn concentrations of brown rice grown in Cd-polluted soils. Euphytica 180:173–179
Wu FB, Zhang G (2002) Genotypic differences in effect of Cd on growth and mineral concentrations in barley seedlings. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 69:219–227
Tiryakioglu M, Eker S, Ozkutlu F, Husted S, Cakmak I (2006) Antioxidant defense system and cadmium uptake in barley genotypes differing in cadmium tolerance. J Trace Elem Med Biol 20:181–189
Wu F, Zhang G, Dominy P, Wu H, Bachir DML (2007) Differences in yield components and kernel Cd accumulation in response to Cd toxicity in four barley genotypes. Chemosphere 70:83–92
Chen F, Wang F, Zhang G, Wu F (2008) Identification of barley varieties tolerant to cadmium toxicity. Biol Trace Elem Res 121:171–179
Xue D, Chen M, Zhang G (2009) Map** of QTLs associated with cadmium tolerance and accumulation during seedling stage in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Euphytica 165:587–596
Zhang GP, Fukami M, Sekimoto H (2002) Influence of cadmium on mineral concentrations and yield components in wheat genotypes differing in Cd tolerance at seedling stage. Field Crop Res 77:93–98
Sugiyama M, Ae N, Hajika M (2011) Develo** of a simple method for screening soybean seedling cadmium accumulation to select soybean genotypes with low seed cadmium. Plant Soil 341:413–422
Ali S, Zeng F, Qiu L, Zhang G (2011) The effect of chromium and aluminum on growth, root morphology, photosynthetic parameters and transpiration of the two barley cultivars. Biol Plantarum 55:291–296
Qiu B, Zhou W, Xue D, Zeng F, Ali S, Zhang G (2010) Identification of Cr-tolerance lines in a rice (Oryza sativa L.) DH population. Euphytica 174:199–207
Liu J, Li K, Xu J, Liang J, Lu X, Yang J, Zhu Q (2003) Interaction of Cd and five mineral nutrients for uptake and accumulation in different rice cultivars and genotypes. Field Crop Res 83:271–281
Zeng F, Qiu B, Ali S, Zhang G (2010) Genotypic differences in nutrient uptake and accumulation in rice under chromium stress. J Plant Nutr 33:518–528
Hayat S, Khalique G, Irfan M, Wani AS, Tripathi BN, Ahmad A (2012) Physiological changes induced by chromium stress in plants: an overview. Protoplasma 249:599–611
Rivelli AR, Puschenreiter M, De Maria S (2014) Assessment of cadmium uptake and nutrient content sunflower plants grown under Cd stress. Plant Soil Environ 60:80–86
Sandalio LM, Dalurzo HC, Gómez M, Romero-Puertas MC, del Río LA (2001) Cadmium-induced changes in the growth and oxidative metabolism of pea plants. J Exp Bot 52:2115–2126
Zadoks JC, Chang TT, Konzak CF (1974) A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Res 14:415–421
Fang S, SunW HH, Zhang H, Zheng K (2012) Chlorophyll content of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) estimation from leaf SPAD, chlorophyll fluorescence and reflectance properties. Adv Sci Lett 11:702–705
Ritchie SW, Nguyen HT, Holaday AS (1990) Leaf water content and gas-exchange parameters of two wheat genotypes differing in drought resistance. Crop Sci 30:105–111
Morgan JM (1983) Osmoregulation as a selection criterion for drought tolerance in wheat. Aust J Agric Res 34:607–614
Shahandeh H, Hossner LR (2000) Plant screening for chromium phytoremediation. Int J Phytoremediat 2:3–51
Mattina MJ, Lannucci-Berger W, Musante C, White JC (2003) Concurrent plant uptake of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants from soil. Environ Pollut 124:375–378
Garate A, Ramón AM, Carpena OR (1984) Influencia del boro sobre el manganeso y otros nutrientes en extractos de tejidos vasculares. Anales de Edafología y Agrobiología 43:1467–1477
Vassilev A, Lidon FC, Ramalho JC, do Céu Matos M, Bareiro MG (2004) Shoot cadmium accumulation and photosynthetic performance of barley plants exposed to high cadmium treatments. J Plant Nutr 27:775–795
Ali S, Farooq MA, Jahangir MM, Abbas F, Bharwana SA, Zhang GP (2013) Effect of chromium and nitrogen form on photosynthesis and anti-oxidative system in barley. Biol Plantarum 57:758–763
Bonnet M, Camares O, Veisseire P (2000) Effects of zinc and influence of Acremonium lolii on growth parameters, chlorophyll a fluorescence and antioxidant enzyme activities of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv Apollo). J Exp Bot 51:945–953
Shukla UC, Singh J, Joshi PC, Kakkar P (2003) Effect of bioaccumulation of cadmium on biomass productivity, essential trace elements, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and macromolecules of wheat seedlings. Biol Trace Elem Res 29:257–273
Hörcsik ZT, Kovács L, Láposi R, Mészáros I, Lakatos G, Garab G (2007) Effect of chromium on photosystem 2 in the unicellular green alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Photosynthetica 45:65–69
Ci D, Jiang D, Wollenweber B, Dai T, **g Q, Cao W (2010) Cadmium stress in wheat seedlings: growth, cadmium accumulation and photosynthesis. Acta Physiol Plant 32:365–373
Wang H, Zhao SC, Liu RL, Zhou W, ** JY (2009) Changes of photosynthetic activities of maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings in response to cadmium stress. Photosynthetica 47:277–283
Xue ZC, Gao HY, Zhang LT (2013) Effects of cadmium on growth, photosynthetic rate, and chlorophyll content in leaves of soybean seedlings. Biol Plantarum 57:587–590
Burzynsky M, Żureka A (2007) Effects of copper and cadmium on photosynthesis in cucumber cotyledons. Photosynthetica 45:239–244
González A, Lobo MC (2013) Growth of four varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare L) in soils contaminated with heavy metals and their effects on some physiological traits. Am J Plant Sci 4:1799–1810
Poschenrieder C, Barceló J (2004) Water relations in heavy metal stressed plants. In: Prasad MNV (ed) Heavy metal stress in plants: from biomolecules to ecosystems. Springer, Berlin, pp 249–270
Vernay P, Gauthier–Moussard C, Hitmi A (2007) Interaction of bioaccumulation of heavy metal chromium with water relation, mineral nutrition and photosynthesis in developed leaves of Lolium perenne L. Chemosphere 68:1563–1575
Grant CA, Bailey LD (1998) Nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc management effects on grain yield and cadmium concentration in two cultivars of durum wheat. Can J Plant Sci 78:63–70
Nocito FF, Lancilli C, Dendena B, Lucchini G, Sacchi GA (2011) Cadmium retention in rice roots is influenced by cadmium availability, chelation and translocation. Plant Cell Environ 34:994–1008
Nada E, Ferjani BA, Ali R, Bechir BR, Imed M, Makki B (2007) Cadmium-induced growth inhibition and alteration of biochemical parameters in almond seedlings grown in solution culture. Acta Physiol Plant 29:57–62
Marchiol L, Assolari S, Sacco P, Zerbi G (2004) Phytoextraction of heavy metals by canola (Brassica napus) and radish (Raphanus sativus) grown on multicontaminated soil. Environ Pollut 132:21–27
Acknowledgments
This work has been supported by Project FP13-APL from IMIDRA and EIADES Program S2009/AMB-1478 from Consejería de Educación, Comunidad de Madrid. The authors gratefully acknowledge Mrs. Martin for reviewing the English language.
Conflict of Interest
The authors have declared no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
González, A., Gil-Díaz, M. & Lobo, M.C. Response of Two Barley Cultivars to Increasing Concentrations of Cadmium or Chromium in Soil During the Growing Period. Biol Trace Elem Res 163, 235–243 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0182-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0182-6