Cultivar variations in cadmium and lead accumulation and distribution among 30 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars.

In recent years, heavy metal pollution in agricultural soil in China has received public concern. The concept of low-accumulation cultivars (LACs) was proposed to minimize the influx of pollutants to the human food chain. Variations in Cd and Pb accumulation, distribution, and tolerance among 30 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were studied in a hydroponic experiment to preliminary identify LACs of Cd or Pb for further field experiments. Of the 30 wheat cultivars tested, 27 and 26 wheat cultivars showed no effect of the Cd/Pb treatments on the shoot and root biomass, respectively. The results showed that the tested wheat cultivars had considerable tolerance to Cd and Pb toxicity. Significant (p < 0.05) differences in shoot Cd concentration were observed among the tested wheat cultivars under treatments Cd1.0 and Cd1.0Pb15, ranging from 0.91 to 6.74 and from 0.87 to 5.96, with the mean of 3.83 and 2.94 mg kg(-1) DW, respectively. Significant (p < 0.05) differences in shoot Pb concentration were also observed among the tested wheat cultivars under treatments Pb15 and Cd1.0Pb15, ranging from 22.18 to 94.03 and from 18.30 to 76.88, with the mean of 50.38 and 41.20 mg kg(-1) DW, respectively. Low accumulation and internal distribution may both affect the cultivar differences in Cd and Pb accumulation in wheat shoots. Overall, wheat cultivars LF-13, LF-16, and LF-21 had lower Cd-accumulating abilities in their shoots. Wheat cultivars LF-13, LF-23, LF-26, and LF-27 showed low Pb accumulation characteristics in their shoots. An antagonistic interaction occurred between Cd and Pb in accumulation in wheat roots and shoots, which will be further studied in field experiments.