Effects of Cadmium Stress on the Quality of Rice Seeds

Germination and hydroponic experiments are performed on rice seeds growing in soils treated with Cd stress, with rice seeds of the same variety that is not treated with Cd stress as a control, to study the effects of Cd stress on quality of rice seeds. The results have shown that: (1) Cd stress reduces the thousand grain weight of rice seeds, and higher Cd content means lower thousand grain weight; (2) The germination vigor and germination percentage of rice seeds under Cd stress as well as their α-amylase activity and β-amylase activity are all lower than those of the control. They decreases as the Cd stress increases; (3) For rice seeds under Cd stress, the height, fresh and dry weight of seedlings, as well as the chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate and content of soluble protein of their leaves are all lower than those of the control. This indicates that Cd stress has certain effects on the germination and growth of the rice seeds.