Nada Zaari Jabri1, Mohamed Ait-El-Mokhtar1,*, Fadoua Mekkaoui1, Najwa Rabah1, Ilham Amghar1, Ghizlane Diria2, Abdelaziz Hmyene1
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.11, pp. 3687-3701, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.071634
- 01 December 2025
Abstract Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a major environmental stressor that adversely affects crop germination and early development. This study assessed the impact of increasing Cd concentrations (0.125 to 1 g/L) on seed germination and early seedling growth in three bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars: Achtar, Lina, and Snina. The results revealed a clear dose-dependent inhibitory effect of Cd. Germination percentage (GP) significantly declined with increasing Cd levels, while mean germination time was progressively delayed, particularly at higher concentrations. Vigor index (VI) also showed significant reductions, reflecting compromised seedling establishment. Morphological traits, especially shoot and root lengths,… More >