Indexes of Radicle are Sensitive and Effective for Assessing Copper and Zinc Tolerance in Germinating Seeds of Suaeda salsa

Hao Zhang, Li Jiang, Mohsin Tanveer, Jinbiao Ma, Zhenyong Zhao and Lei Wang
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Hao Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Li Jiang: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Mohsin Tanveer: Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7005, Australia
Jinbiao Ma: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Zhenyong Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Lei Wang: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-12

Abstract: Euhalophytes, such as Suaeda salsa , are ideal candidates to remediate heavy metal-polluted saline soils. However, the metal tolerance ability of dimorphic seeds and subsequent seedlings is largely unknown. This study investigated the tolerance of S. salsa seeds to different concentrations of Cu 2+ (0–300 mM) and Zn 2+ (0–300 mM) during germination and seedling growth stages. Results showed that dimorphic seeds of S. salsa had high metal tolerance during germination, and even germinated under 300 mM Cu and Zn treatments. However, seedling growth was more sensitive to metal solutions and radicle growth was almost completely inhibited by Cu at 10 mM, and by Zn at 50 mM. Germinating seeds and seedlings of S. salsa had a higher metal toxicity threshold of Zn than that of Cu. In all indexes, indexes of radicle were the most sensitive and effective indicator of metal tolerance. Seeds of S. salsa germinated successfully and seedlings survived under high Zn and Cu stress. The results suggest that S. salsa could be sown directly in heavy metal-contaminated soils for phytoremediation.

Keywords: dimorphic seed; germination index; halophyte; phytoremediation; seedling growth; Suaeda salsa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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