Comparison of Some Bread and Durum Wheat Cultivars in Absorption and Translocation of Cd

Abstract Previous studies on the difference in accumulation and translocation of cadmium (Cd) among different wheat cultivars have typically focused on a small number of cultivars or used a culture medium with a single Cd level while selecting a specific plant vegetative stage. However, the present study aimed to assess the effect of the mentioned factors on the uptake, translocation, and accumulation of this toxic element among ten wheat cultivars grown in soil with three levels of Cd (0, 10, and 20 mg kg-1). The cultivars included five spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Pishgam, Sirvan, Rakhshan, Talaei, and Parsi) and five spring durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) (Behrang, Hana, Aran, Shabrang, and Sana). At maturity, plant organs were harvested and digested by the wet oxidation method (using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide). Then, the concentrations of the metal in grain, leaves, stem, and root were determined. Moreover, translocation Factors from shoot to grain (TFG: Sh) and root to grain (TFG: R) were calculated for the cultivars. The results revealed that different wheat cultivars exhibited varying behaviors in Cd absorption and transfer at each level of soil contamination. TFG:Sh seems to be the main agent for the difference in grain Cd accumulation in different cultivars. The highest and lowest amounts of grain Cd belonged to Behrang and Sana (durum cultivars), respectively. However, the concentration of Cd in plant organs in the control samples was not detectable. Additionally, durum wheat behavior changed at the higher level of soil Cd and in contrast to previous efforts, bread wheat cultivars surprisingly accumulated more Cd in the grain and other parts of the plant than durum cultivars at levels of 20 mg kg-1. As a result, Cd accumulation in wheat can be different among cultivars due to their physiological characteristics, regardless of whether they are durum or bread.