ARS | Publication request: PHOSPHORUS ALLEVIATION OF CADMIUM PHYTOTOXICITY

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 1, 2001
Publication Date: October 1, 2002
Citation: SAJWAN, K.S., PARAMASIVAM, S., RICHARDSON, J.P., ALVA, A.K. PHOSPHORUS ALLEVIATION OF CADMIUM PHYTOTOXICITY. JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION. 25:2001-2014. 2002.

Interpretive Summary: High concentrations of heavy metals in the soil negatively impact plant growth. Heavy metals are not mobile in the soil, thus some remediative measure is necessary to overcome the negative effects of heavy metals on plant growth. High concentrations of phosphorus facilitate precipitation of heavy metals into unavailable forms. In this study, effects of phosphate additions to nutrient solution containing different concentrations of cadmium on the cadmium toxicity to soybean was investigated. This study demonstrated that increasing concentrations of phosphorus decreased the phytotoxicity of cadmium at all concentrations. Phosphorus clearly demonstrated an antagonistic effect on the cadmium concentration in the plant tissue.

Technical Abstract: A hydroponic study was conducted under controlled environmental conditions to determine the effect of phosphate addition on cadmium (Cd) toxicity to soybean [Glycine max L. Cutiva perron] plants. Three weeks old soybean plants previously grown on perlite for two weeks and additional seven days on 'Hoagland' nutrient solution without Cd supply were transferred to solutions containing either 0, 0.075 or 0.15 mg Cd/L. Each of these Cd treatment received either 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8 M phosphorus as KH2PO4 and the seedlings were grown for additional 33 d. Results of this study indicated that irrespective of Cd level in the growing solution, phosphate addtion alleviated Cd toxicity in soybean. The addition of as little as 0.4 M phosphate alleviated biomass reductions caused by 0.075 mg Cd/L. The alteration in tissue Cd concentrations brought about by phosphate addition may reveal an antagonistic effect between P and Cd.