Studies on the Effect of Different Concentrations of Cr Stress on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Triticum aestivum L. and Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek

Abstract

Heavy metals possess many distressing effects on living organisms, either directly or indirectly. One of the indirect effects is the change in plant nutritional values. Plants, in their life cycle, are usually exposed to different types of heavy metals, which readily find their way inside the cells from contaminated soils. Chromium (Cr) is one such metal which affects many physiological processes of plants and contributes to severe toxicity. But there are plant species which have remarkable metabolic activities, absorption capabilities, and transport systems that facilitate the uptake of contaminants selectively from the growth matrix (soil or water). The present study was aimed at understanding the effect of Cr on the growth of Triticum aestivum L. and Vigna radiata L. Wilczek and to investigate their bioaccumulation efficiency. The seeds were sown in soil supplemented with different concentrations of Cr (10-100 ppm), and the effect of metal on the growth parameters was examined. Results revealed that the increasing concentrations of Cr impaired the germination and growth of the seedlings, which was marked by a decrease in root and shoot length, biomass, and chlorophyll content. Significant accumulation was also observed in the cells, as proved by the anatomical and colorimetric studies. The future lies in exploring metabolically active and genetically modified plants as an effective approach towards the remediation of heavy metal contaminated ecosystems and in establishing vegetation in metal stressed soil.