Cadmium(Cd)contamination is amajor environmental stressor that adversely affects crop germination and early development.This study assessed the impact of increasing Cd concentrations(0.125 to 1 g/L)on seed germination...Cadmium(Cd)contamination is amajor environmental stressor that adversely affects crop germination and early development.This study assessed the impact of increasing Cd concentrations(0.125 to 1 g/L)on seed germination and early seedling growth in three bread wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)cultivars:Achtar,Lina,and Snina.The results revealed a clear dose-dependent inhibitory effect of Cd.Germination percentage(GP)significantly declined with increasing Cd levels,while mean germination time was progressively delayed,particularly at higher concentrations.Vigor index(VI)also showed significant reductions,reflecting compromised seedling establishment.Morphological traits,especially shoot and root lengths,were negatively affected,with root systems exhibiting greater sensitivity.Growth inhibition indices indicated a stronger suppression in roots than in shoots,and tolerance index(TI)values demonstrated clear intervarietal differences,with Achtar displaying the highest tolerance and Lina the greatest susceptibility.Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships among GP,VI,TI,and seedling length,and negative correlations with shoot and root growth inhibition.Principal component analysis further supported these patterns,effectively separating cultivar responses across treatments.Overall,this study highlights the phytotoxic effects of Cd on early wheat development and underscores the role of genetic variability in determining cultivar tolerance to heavy metal stress.展开更多
文摘Cadmium(Cd)contamination is amajor environmental stressor that adversely affects crop germination and early development.This study assessed the impact of increasing Cd concentrations(0.125 to 1 g/L)on seed germination and early seedling growth in three bread wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)cultivars:Achtar,Lina,and Snina.The results revealed a clear dose-dependent inhibitory effect of Cd.Germination percentage(GP)significantly declined with increasing Cd levels,while mean germination time was progressively delayed,particularly at higher concentrations.Vigor index(VI)also showed significant reductions,reflecting compromised seedling establishment.Morphological traits,especially shoot and root lengths,were negatively affected,with root systems exhibiting greater sensitivity.Growth inhibition indices indicated a stronger suppression in roots than in shoots,and tolerance index(TI)values demonstrated clear intervarietal differences,with Achtar displaying the highest tolerance and Lina the greatest susceptibility.Pearson correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships among GP,VI,TI,and seedling length,and negative correlations with shoot and root growth inhibition.Principal component analysis further supported these patterns,effectively separating cultivar responses across treatments.Overall,this study highlights the phytotoxic effects of Cd on early wheat development and underscores the role of genetic variability in determining cultivar tolerance to heavy metal stress.
