Response of Corn to Cadmium and Drought Stress and Its ‎Potential Use for Phytoremediation

Authors
A. Azizian 1
S. Amin 1
M. Maftoun 2
Y. Emam 3
M. Noshadi 1
1 Department of Water Engineering, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.‎
2 Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.‎
3 Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.‎
Abstract
In the present study, the effects of different cadmium (Cd) levels of irrigation water (0, 5, 10 and 20 mg L-1) on corn plants (foliage) under different irrigation intervals (1, 3, and 7 days) were investigated. Clear Cd toxicity symptoms appeared on the plants at the end of the experiment. The results showed that stem dry weight (DW) followed by transpiration (T) and plant height were the measured plant parameters most sensitive to increasing Cd levels of irrigation water. In addition, Cd reduced water uptake by corn and led to more soil moisture. The results also demonstrated that corn might produce more shoot biomass with Cd application, which should be taken into consideration if no visible symptoms of Cd toxicity and considerable amounts of the metal uptake are present. Cadmium application through irrigation did not show a marked impairment in the nutrient status of the plants. Moreover, accumulation of Cd in the leaves was more than the stems by 24, 56, and 27% at 1, 3, and 7-day irrigation frequencies, respectively. Also, corn stem was found to be more sensitive to Cd than leaf. The results showed that corn might be used for phytoremediation of Cd under optimum moisture conditions and light contamination of the soil. Furthermore, shoot Cd concentration followed an asymptote pattern as a function of soil Cd, which was expressed by a plateau-type model under each irrigation interval.

Keywords

1. Angle, J. S., Baker, A. J. M., Whiting, N. S. and Chaney, R. L. 2003. Soil Moisture Effects on Uptake of Metals by Thlaspi, Alyssum, and Berkheya. Plant Soil, 256: 325-332.
2. Barcelo, J., Vazquez, M. D. and Poschenrieder, C. H. 1988. Structural and Ultra-structural Disorder in Cadmium-treated Bush Bean Plants. New Phytol., 108: 37-49
3. Castillo-Michel, H. A., Hernandez, N., Martinez-Martinez, A., Parsons, J. G., Peralta-Videa, J. R. and Gerdea-Torresdey, J. L. 2009. Coordination and Speciation of Cadmium in Corn Seedlings and Its Effects on Macro- and Micronutrients Uptake. Plant Physiol. Biochem., 47: 608-614.
4. Chaney, R. L., Li, Y. M., Angle, J. S., Brewer, E. P., Saunders, J. P. and Baker, A. J. M. 1998. Converting Metal Hyperaccumulator Wild Plants into Commercial Phytoremediation Systems: Approaches and Progress. In: "Proceeding of the Fourth International Conference on Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements", (Eds.): Banũelos, G. S. and Terry, N.. Berkeley, CA, PP. 623-624.
5. Chen, H. and Cutright, T. 2001. EDTA and DTPA Effects on Cd, Cr, and Ni Uptake by Helianthus annus. Chemosphere, 45: 21-28.
6. Corey, R. B., King, L. D., Lue-Hing, C., Fanning D. S., Street J. J. and Walker, J. M. 1987. Effects of Sludge Properties on Accumulation of Trace Elements by Crops. In: "Land Application of Sludge", (Ed.): Page, A. L.. Lewis Public., Chelsea, MI, PP. 25-51.
7. Dikinya, O. and Areola, O. 2010. Comparative Analysis of Heavy Metal Concentration in Secondary Treated Wastewater Irrigated Soils Cultivated by Different Crops. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Tech., 7: 337-346.
8. di Toppi, S. L. and Gabrielli, R. 1999. Response to Cadmium in Higher Plants. Environ. Exp. Bot., 41: 105-130.
9. Grifferty, A. and Barrington, S. 2000. Zinc Uptake by Young Wheat Plants under Two Transpiration Regimes. J. Environ. Qual., 29: 443-446.
10. John, M. K., Van Laerhoven, C. J. and Chuah, H. H. 1972. Factors Affecting Plant Uptake and Phtotoxicity of Cadmium Added to Soils. Environ. Sci. Technol., 6: 1005-1006.
11. Kirkham, M. B. 1978. Water Relation of Cadmium-Treated Plants. J. Environ. Qual., 7: 334-336.
12. Logan, T. J. and Chaney, R. L. 1987. Nonlinear Rate Response and Relative Crop Uptake of Sludge Cadmium for Land Application of Sludge Risk Assessment. In: "Heavy Metals in the Environ", (Eds.): Lindberg, S. E. and Hutchinson, T. C.. Proc. 6th Int. Conf. CEP Consultants, Edinburgh, Scotland, PP. 387-388.
13. Logan, T. J., Lindsay, B J., Goins, L. E. and Ryan, J. A. 1997. Field Assessment of Sludge Metal Bioavailability to Crops: Sludge rate response. J. Environ. Qual., 26: 534-550.
14. Marchiol, L., Sacco, P., Assolari, S. and Zebri, G. 2004. Reclamation of Polluted Soil: Phytoremediation Potential of Crop-related Brassica Species. Water Air Soil Pollut., 158: 345-356.
15. Motesharezadeh, B., Savaghebi-Firoozabadi,Gh. R., Mirseyed Hosseini H. and Alikhani, H. A. 2010. Study of the Enhanced Phytoextraction of Cadmium in a Calcareous Soil. Int. J. Environ. Res., 4: 525-532.
16. Page, A. L., Logan, T. J. and Ryan, J. A. 1987. Land Application of Sludge-food-chain Implications. Lewis Public., Chelsea, MI, PP.168.
17. Peralta-Videa, J. R., Gerdea-Torresdey, J. L., Gomez, E., Tiemann, K. J., Parsons, J. G. and Carrillo, G. 2002. Effect of Mixed Cadmium, Copper, Nickel and Zinc at Different Phs Upon Alfalfa Growth and Heavy Metal Uptake. Environ. Pollut., 119: 291-301.
18. Rascio, N., Vecchia, F. D. Ferretti, M. Merlo, L. and Ghisi, R. 1993. Some Effects of Cadmium on Maize Plants. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 25: 244-249.
19. Robinson, B. H., Mills, T. M., Petit, D., Fung, L. E., Green, S. R. and Clothier, B. E. 2000. Natural and Induced Cadmium-accumulation in Poplar and Willow: Implication for Phytoremediation. Plant Soil, 227: 301-306.
20. Sameni A. M., Maftoun, M. and Bassiri, A. 1987. Response of Tomato and Sweet Corn to Different Cadmium Levels in Calcareous Soils. J. Hort. Sci., 62: 227-232.
21. Sanchez, A. G., Ayuso, E. A. and de Blas, O. J. 1999. Sorption of Heavy Metals from Industrial Waste Water by Low-cost Mineral Silicats. Clay, Miner., 34: 469-477.
22. Saucedo, D., Sammis, T. W., Picchioni, G. A. and Mexal, J. G. 2005. Wastewater Application and Water Use of Larrea tridentate. Agric. Water Manage., 82: 343-353.
23. Shayegan, J. and Afshari, A. 2004. The Treatment Situation of Municipal and Industrial Wastewater in Iran. J. Water Wastewater, 49: 58-69. (in Farsi)
24. Toze, S. 2006. Reuse of Effluent Water-Benefits and Risks. Agric. Water Manage., 80: 147-159
25. Tyler, L. D. and McBride, M. B. 1982. Influence of Ca, pH and Humic Acid on Cd Uptake. Plant Soil, 64: 259-262.
26. Van Genuchten, M. T. 1980. A Closed-form Equation for Predicting the Hydraulic Conductivity of Unsaturated soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 44: 892-898.
27. Wallace, A., Romney, E. M., Alexander, G. V., Soufi, S. M. and Patel, P. M. 1977. Some Interactions in Plants among Cadmium, other Heavy Metals and Chelating Agents. Agron. J., 69: 18-20.
28. Walker, W. M., Miller, J. E. and Hassett, J. J. 1977. Effect of Lead and Cadmium upon the Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Phosphorus Concentration in Young Corn. Soil Sci., 124: 145-151.
29. Youn-Joo, A. 2004. Soil Ecotoxicity Assessment Using Cadmium Sensitive Plants. Environ. Pollut., 127: 21-26.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 15, Issue 2
March and April 2013
Pages 303-310