Effect of cadmium and lead application on uptake of these heavy metals and growth in two Pinto bean cultivars

In recent years a major part of agricultural lands has been contaminated with heavy metals as a result of industrial activities, ore mining, smelting, irrigation with sewage and fertilization which has reduced soil quality and plant products health. This study was conducted to investigate some plant responses of two bean cultivars (Khomein and the G01437) to cadmium and lead in a calcareous soil under greenhouse conditions. In a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design, cadmium in the form of cadmium nitrate four levels of zero, 20, 40 and 80 mg/ kg soil and lead as lead nitrate in zero, 50, 100 and 200 mg/ kg levels were added to pots. Then seeds of the two mentioned bean cultivars were planted. Plants dry weight, concentration and uptake amounts of cadmium and lead in shoots and roots were determined after harvesting. Analysis of variance showed that main and interaction effects of cadmium and lead were significant on dry weight of roots and shoots (p<0.01). The effects of treatments on the uptake responses, however, were varied. Plant cultivars had a significant effect on cadmium and lead uptake in shoots and roots. Shoots cadmium uptake in Khomein cultivar was greater than G01437, while Cadmium uptake in the roots was greater in G01437 than in Khomein. The greatest uptake of cadmium in the shoots was observed in the zero lead + 80 cadmium treatment in Khomein (9.40 micro g per pot) and its lowest amount was obtained from 50 lead + zero cadmium treatment in G01437 (1.27 micro g per pot). Translocation factor (TF) of cadmium and lead and BRS index was decreased by increasing the cadmium and lead concentrations in soil.