Cadmium accumulation in durum wheat - Introduction & citation

Background

To better understand the physiological basis for high accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in durum wheat grain we have completed a whole-plant Cd mass balance for a pair of near-isogenic durum wheat lines, high and low for Cd accumulation in grain.

Plants of both isolines were grown in Cd-labelled chelator-buffered hydroponic culture, and were harvested at various times during grain filling and analysed for Cd accumulation. The objectives of this research were to:

Determine the relationship between grain filling and grain Cd accumulation;
Identify major plant Cd pools; and
Quantify the development of plant Cd pools during grain filling.

Results

Interactive tissue map of Cd accumulation

Animated summary of Cd accumulation

Plant growth movies [requires Flash Player 6]

Time-course of durum wheat growth (0.8 MB)

Durum wheat plant, 2 wks post-anthesis (1.1 MB)

Funding & partners

NSERC Strategic Project Grant 246719: "Regulation of cadmium accumulation in the grain of durum wheat" (2001-2004). Industry partners: Agrium | Westco

Citation

Harris NS & Taylor GJ (in prep). Cadmium uptake and partitioning in durum wheat during grain filling. View full text | PDF

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var durum) grain grown in North American prairie soils contains high concentrations of cadmium.

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