Cadmium toxicity on seed germination and initial growth of chia

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing concern related to soil and water contamination due to the constant dispersal of toxic metals. In addition to their ecotoxicological potential, these elements exhibit a cumulative character that favors their permanence in soil and passage to living organisms, which can lead to an ecological imbalance. Among toxic metals, cadmium (Cd) is an obstacle to agriculture because it can adversely affect food quality and human health, as well as diminish plant growth and productivity. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the toxicity of cadmium on seed germination and initial growth of chia. The ecotoxicological effects of four Cd concentrations (15; 30; 45; and 60 mg L -1 ) were evaluated. The response variables were germination percentage, first count, germination speed index, total length, shoot length, root length, seedling dry mass, and tolerance index. It is concluded that the presence and accumulation of Cd in the culture substrate played an inhibitory role in seed germination and initial seedling growth of chia starting at 15 mg L -1 . On the other hand, no significant effect was observed for the treatments in relation to dry mass of the chia seedlings.

Mitigation of cadmium toxicity stress by magnetopriming during germination of soybean

“…For instance, Vashisth and Nagarajan (2010) reported that magnetoprimed wheat and sunflower seeds had significantly higher amylase activity than their controls. Previous studies have reported higher α-amylase and protease activity in magnetoprimed soybean and maize seedlings under various stress conditions such as salt, mercury toxicity and UV-B (Kataria et al 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, Raipuria et al 2021, Prajapati et al 2023). The higher protease activity in magnetoprimed seeds could contribute to the breakdown of stored proteins into amino acids (Rajendra et al 2005) that can be utilized for energy and growth during seedling development.…”

“…It is often found in industrial and agricultural waste and can contaminate soil, water, and food (Yin et al 2021). The germinating seed serves as the first point of interaction between the developing plant and its surrounding environment, making it particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of Cd (Stefanello 2019, Mahawar et al 2021. Cd significantly inhibited the seed germination of various plant species such as swiss chard, lettuce, wheat, basil, chia, beans and spinach (Ahmad et al 2012, Bautista et al 2013, El Rasafi et al 2016, Gharebaghi et al 2017, Stefanello 2019.…”

“…In the present study, positive effects of MP were observed in soybean seedlings under Cd toxicity, such as increased seed germination percentage, root, shoot, and seedling length, as well as enhanced fresh/dry weight and vigour indices of seedlings. The inhibitory effects of Cd on shoot and root growth lead to stunted seedlings as Cd toxicity disrupts the water and nutrient uptake and transport (Liu et al 2012, Sheirdil et al 2012, Stefanello 2019.The increase in root length induced by MP can contribute to enhanced water and nutrient uptake and provide necessary resources for seedlings to cope with the toxic effects of Cd. However, the exposure of seeds to MF has earlier been shown to increase their capacity to absorb moisture and their nutrient content in soybean (Kavi 1977, Radhakrishnan andKumari 2012).…”