scholarly journals The influence of cadmium and lead on Ulmus pumila L. seed germination and early seedling growth

2014 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matilda Djukic ◽  
Danijela Djunisijevic-Bojovic ◽  
Sladjana Samuilov

The aim of this paper was to examine how the heavy metals cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) influence the germination and early growth of seedlings of the fast-growing tree species Ulmus pumila L. Seeds were germinated and seedlings were hydroponically grown in a solution with Cd-nitrate and Pb-nitrate at concentrations of 20 ?M, 50 ?M and 90 ?M. Our results show that seeds can germinate in the presence of these two heavy metals at all of the applied concentrations with no significant reduction in qualitative (germination capacity, germination energy) or quantitative (germination intensity, mean germination period) germination parameters as compared to the controls. Early seedling development was also possible at higher concentrations of both heavy metals. Cd reduced hypocotyl length, but not significantly the length of radicles. Pb did not influence hypocotyl length and stimulated radicle length significantly (95%). These results could mark a step forward in defining the tolerance of U. pumila to the presence of Cd and Pb, and to the possibility of using this fast-growing tree which is resistant to different abiotic and biotic stresses, for phytoremediation or soil reclamation purposes.

Botany ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 471-484
Author(s):  
Abdelmadjid Djoumad ◽  
Solange Villette ◽  
Iauhenia Isayenka ◽  
Nathalie Beaudoin

Thioredoxins (TRXs) are important components of redox-regulated systems involved in maintaining and regulating the cellular redox environment during growth and development and in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Plants possess several types of TRX localized in various compartments, including five different types of chloroplastic TRXs. Arabidopsis thaliana contains two chloroplastic type-f TRXs, TRX f1 and TRX f2, involved in the regulation of light-dependent activation of photosynthesis and carbon metabolism. However, little is known about their role during development and in response to stress. We used single and double mutants of TRX f1 and TRX f2 to assess their roles during seed germination and seedling development. Loss of both TRX f1 and TRX f2 induced faster germination and seedling development associated with reduced sensitivity to abscisic acid. This suggests that type-f TRXs negatively regulate seed germination and seedling development. Moreover, double-mutant seedlings were more sensitive to methyl viologen and UV-C irradiation than the wild-type seedlings, indicating that loss of type-f TRXs increases sensitivity to oxidative stress. Overall, these results indicate that type-f TRXs contribute to maintaining an adequate cellular environment required for a tight regulation of germination and a better tolerance to oxidative stress.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 271
Author(s):  
Muhammad Imran ◽  
Asim Mahmood ◽  
Günter Neumann ◽  
Birte Boelt

Low temperature during germination hinders germination speed and early seedling development. Zn seed priming is a useful and cost-effective tool to improve germination rate and resistance to low temperature stress during germination and early seedling development. Spinach was tested to improve germination and seedling development with Zn seed priming under low temperature stress conditions. Zn priming increased seed Zn concentration up to 48 times. The multispectral imaging technique with VideometerLab was used as a non-destructive method to differentiate unprimed, water- and Zn-primed spinach seeds successfully. Localization of Zn in the seeds was studied using the 1,5-diphenyl thiocarbazone (DTZ) dying technique. Active translocation of primed Zn in the roots of young seedlings was detected with laser confocal microscopy. Zn priming of spinach seeds at 6 mM Zn showed a significant increase in germination rate and total germination under low temperature at 8 °C.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Rusin ◽  
Joanna Domagalska ◽  
Danuta Rogala ◽  
Mehdi Razzaghi ◽  
Iwona Szymala

AbstractChemical contamination of foods pose a significant risk to consumers. A source of this risk is due to the consumption of products contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The aim of the study was to research the levels of Cd and Pb contamination of selected species of vegetables and fruits in the form of fresh, frozen, dried and processed products. The goal was to verify which of these food groups was more contaminated with heavy metals. The study covered 370 samples of fruits and vegetables including apples, pears, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, as well as beetroots, celeries, carrots and tomatoes. The content of Cd and Pb was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Quantitative results were analyzed using statistical models: analysis of variance, outlier analysis, post-hoc multiple comparison Tukey test. The tests showed that the levels of Cd and Pb concentration in samples of fresh, processed, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables varied substantially. The highest concentrations were recorded in dried products. Several fruit and vegetable samples exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations of Cd and Pb. The contamination of these products could be a significant source of consumer exposure to heavy metals when these products are a part of the diet.


1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 402-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Zhang

Cakile edentula produces dimorphic seeds from the upper and lower fruit segments. The upper seeds are well adapted to long-distance dispersal and have greater mean seed mass and surface area than those from the lower seeds. Great mean mass of the upper seeds is probably adaptive because it ensured early independent growth of seedlings and thus enhanced their chances of surviving environmental stresses. Large seed reserves also resulted in high chlorophyll content of the cotyledons. Large seed surface area resulted in large cotyledon area and cotyledon area to biomass ratio of the subsequent seedlings, but the adaptive advantage is not clear. Since increased seed surface area necessitates great protective tissues (fruit coat) that may improve the buoyant ability of seeds, large seed surface area of the upper seeds may be a result of selection for dispersal. Key words: seed mass, seed dimorphism, establishment, sand dune, selection, Cakile edentula.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cristina Romero-Rodríguez ◽  
Antonio Archidona-Yuste ◽  
Nieves Abril ◽  
Antonio M. Gil-Serrano ◽  
Mónica Meijón ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1549-1564 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Goeres ◽  
Jaimie M. Van Norman ◽  
Weiping Zhang ◽  
Nellie A. Fauver ◽  
Mary Lou Spencer ◽  
...  

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