Cadmium Uptake and Distribution in Tolerant and Non-Tolerant Populations of Holcus lanatus Grown in Solution Culture

Cadmium uptake and distribution between roots and shoots of a tolerant and a non-tolerant population of Holcus lanatus were studied with reference to both concentration and total cadmium content. The uptake of cadmium into roots of both normal and tolerant plants from nutrient solutions containing 1 ppm cadmium is extensive and in normal plants as much as 90% of the whole plant cadmium remains in the roots but translocation allows shoot concentrations to reach 145 ppm. In tolerant plants translocation of cadmium to shoots is further reduced with a concomitant increase of cadmium concentration in the roots. These effects are shown to be due to differences in biomass and metal uptake of the two populations.