In vitro sensitivity of potato plants to cadmium exposure

ABSTRACT: Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that is extremely dangerous to human health and can be found naturally in soils, deposited through industrial waste or phosphate fertilization. In this study, we evaluated the morphological responses of in vitro grown plants of potato in the presence of Cd, and define a procedure for assessing Cd sensitivity of different clones. The potato clone SMIJ461-1 was cultured in the presence of Cd at concentrations of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 90, 110, 120, 140, and 160 µM. Survival, rooting, number and height of shoots, leaf and root counts were evaluated at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of cultivation. Adverse effects of Cd on the growth of the potato plants, exerted in a concentration-dependent manner, were observed for shoot height, leaf and root counts. Results of this study indicated that Cd concentrations of 0, 45, 90, and 135 µM can be used for future in vitro evaluation of potato clone sensitivity to Cd exposure