Indian Journal of Plant Physiology

In the present study the effect of different heavy metal salts on the growth, yield and metal accumulaton pattern of wheat (T. aestivum) cv. HD 2285 was examined. The studies revealed that application of heavy metals in soil before sowing caused varying extent of reduction in yields of wheat. Mercury caused maximum reduction in biological as well as economic yields followed by copper, lead and cadmium, while zinc did not affect the growth and grain yield of wheat markedly. The number of spikes/pot and grains/spike were reduced, while 1000 grain weight increased significantly by the application of copper, lead and cadmium in soil. The heavy metal stress, however did not affect the harvest index of wheat plants. The content of all the tested metals increased both in straw and grain by their application in soil, but their accumulation was much higher in vegetative shoots (straw) than in reproductive shoot (grain). However, zinc registered higher content in grain than in straw of wheat plants. The content of metals in wheat shoots was in the order of Zn > Cu > Cd.> Pb. The larger proportion of both essential (Cu) and toxic metals (Pb and Cd) absorbed by wheat plants thus remained in straw and a small proportion of the same only transported to edible part (grains).