Scientific publications

We studied the effect of CdSO4 and Pb(NO3)2 salts in 10-5M, 10-4M and 10-3M concentrations on some physiological indices of growth and development in plants of triticale (Triticosecale Wittm.) cultivar PRAG-530. It is shown that both of the metal salts inhibited germination energy and this effect increased along with salt concentration. It was found that the changes in growth rates, biomass accumulation and accumulation of proline by above- and underground organs of plants cannot be described as a monotonic dose-response dependence, but they are consistent with the paradoxical effect that an increase in the metal dose resulted in a decrease of its damaging effects, whereas a reduction of the metal dose, on the contrary, increased its damaging effect. In particular, it was found that the exposure of triticale plants for 8 days in Pb(NO3)2 solutions stimulated growth processes in terms of length and weight of the shoot and the root system. Interestingly, the toxic 10-4M lead concentration was more favorable for the seedlings than the 10-5M concentration. The response of triticale seedlings grown on CdSO4 solutions was the same, except for the salt concentration of 10-3M, when growth in shoots was inhibited and that in roots was completely suppressed. It is shown that the plants responded to stress caused by lead and cadmium metal salts with substantial accumulation of proline in leaves and roots, and the compound had the protective function. These results indicate that triticale plants are resistant to heavy metals, lead and cadmium, and that cadmium is more toxic to them than lead.