Grouping Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum) Genotypes for Cadmium Accumulation using Some Biochemical and Physiological Indices

This study was conducted to comprise and grouping 16 different durum wheat genotypes for activities of antioxidant enzymes at Research Laboratory of Department of Plant Production and Genetics, University of Maragheh. Seedlings grown in aeroponic way, after 4-5 leaf stage, were exposed to cadmium stress using 250 µM. Then, dry weight of leaf, enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione s transferase (GST), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), elements Cd, Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn were measured. Cluster analysis categorized the genotypes into three distinct groups. The genotypes of second group (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12) had the highest values of dry weight of leaf, Fe and Zn and the lowest values Cd, Cu, H2O2, CAT, APX, GPX, GST and MDA. These genotypes were known as tolerant genotypes which those may be applied in durum wheat breeding programs for cadmium tolerance.