Salinity elevates Cd bioaccumulation of sea rice cultured under co-exposure of cadmium and salt

• Published in: Journal of environmental sciences (China) 2023-04, Vol.126, p.602-611
• Main Authors: Yang, Xu, Li, Jiachun, Zheng, Yuze, Li, Huashou, Qiu, Rongliang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cadmium; Cadmium - toxicity; Hydroponics; Interaction; Oryza; Salinity; Salt; Sea rice; Soil
• ISSN: 1001-0742; 1878-7320
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.05.053

•Positive interactions between Cd and Na were presented in sea rice.•Salt addition triggered the defensive ability of sea rice to enhance the Cd tolerance.•The co-existence of Cd and salinity significantly affect rice growth and yield.•Cd concentration in rice grain of sea rice met the national food safety limits under co-stress of Cd and salinity. Salt-tolerant rice (sea rice) is a key cultivar for increasing rice yields in salinity soil. The co-existence of salinity and cadmium (Cd) toxicities in the plant-soil system has become a great challenge for sustainable agriculture, especially in some estuaries and coastal areas. However, little information is available on the Cd accumulating features of sea rice under the co-stress of Cd and salinity. In this work, a hydroponic experiment with combined Cd (0, 0.2, 0.8 mg/L Cd2+) and saline (0, 0.6%, and 1.2% NaCl, W/V) levels and a pot experiment were set to evaluate the Cd toxic risks of sea rice. The hydroponic results showed that more Cd accumulated in sea rice than that in the reported high-Cd-accumulating rice, Chang Xianggu. It indicated an interesting synergistic effect between Cd and Na levels in sea rice, and the Cd level rose significantly with a concomitant increase in Na level in both shoot (r = 0.54, p