Cadmium accumulation in durum wheat
Department of Biological SciencesFaculty of ScienceUniversity of Alberta
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:
  1. Determine the relationship between grain filling and grain Cd accumulation;
  2. Identify major plant Cd pools; and
  3. 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]
Time-course of durum wheat growth (0.8 MB)
Durum wheat plant, 2 wks post-anthesis (0.8 MB)
Funding & partners
NSERC Strategic Project Grant 246719: "Regulation of cadmium accumulation in the grain of durum wheat" (2001-2004). Industry partners: Agrium | Westco
Durum wheat field
Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var durum) grain grown in North American prairie soils contains high concentrations of cadmium.
View larger picture
Citation
Harris NS & Taylor GJ (in prep). Cadmium uptake and partitioning in durum wheat during grain filling. View full text | PDF
ASPB 2006 Poster
"Transcriptome comparison of high and low cadmium accumulating near isogenic lines of durum wheat." View Poster PDF (1 MB)
 
University of Alberta
 
Department of Biological Sciences
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©2005−2007 Neil S. Harris & Gregory J. Taylor