Papers by Marlon Fernando
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2009
In order to evaluate the effect of cadmium (Cd 2þ ) toxicity on mineral nutrient accumulation in ... more In order to evaluate the effect of cadmium (Cd 2þ ) toxicity on mineral nutrient accumulation in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), two cultivars named Asterix and Macaca were cultivated both in vitro and in hydroponic experiments under increasing levels of Cd 2þ (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mM in vitro and 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM in hydroponic culture). At 22 and 7 days of exposure to Cd 2þ , for the in vitro and hydroponic experiment, respectively, the plantlets were separated into roots and shoot, which were analyzed for biomass as well as Cd 2þ , and macro (Ca 2þ , K þ and Mg 2þ ) and micronutrient (Cu 2þ , Fe 2þ , Mn 2þ and Zn 2þ ) contents. In the hydroponic experiment, there was no reduction in shoot and root dry weight for any Cd 2þ level, regardless of the potato cultivar. In contrast, in the in vitro experiment, there was an increase in biomass at low Cd 2þ levels, while higher Cd 2þ levels caused a decrease. In general, Cd 2þ decreased the macronutrient and micronutrient contents in the in vitro cultured plantlets in both roots and shoot of cultivars. In contrast, the macronutrient and micronutrient contents in the hydroponically grown plantlets were generally not affected by Cd 2þ . Our data suggest that the influence of Cd 2þ on nutrient content in potato was related to the level of Cd 2þ in the substrate, potato cultivar, plant organ, essential element, growth medium and exposure time.
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Papers by Marlon Fernando