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RESPONSE OF EUCALYPTUS CAMALDULENSIS TO EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF CADMIUM AND CHROMIUM

F.R. SHAH¹, N. AHMAD¹, K.R. MASOOD² D.M. ZAHID³ AND M. ZUBAIR³

Abstract: A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of synthetic wastewater containing various concentrations of cadmium and chromium on Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Six month-old seedlings of E. camaldulensis were treated with Cd (II) and Cr (VI) for 18 months. Treatments were; T₀: (Tap water, control), T₁: 0.05 +1.0 mg L^-1, T₂: 0.10+2.0 mg L^-1, T₃: 0.20+4.0 mg L^-1 and T₄:  0.40+8.0 mg L^-1 of Cd and Cr respectively. Maximum growth in terms of shoot length (248.33 cm), collar diameter (1.78 cm), number of branches (20), number of leaves (504), root diameter (1.3 cm), leaf fresh weight (166.33 g), stem fresh weight (353.33 g), root fresh weight (201.33 g), leaf oven dry weight (73.67 g), stem oven dry weight (166 g) root oven dry weight (100 g) and root/shoot ratio (0.3) was recorded at T₁ treated plants beyond that a gradual decline in growth was observed with a maximum reduction of 10.5, 18.7, 31.7, 53.4, 21.8, 18, 57.6, 35.8, 20, 58, 34, 27 and 0.07% respectively in T₄ treatment compared to control (T₀). Cd and Cr accumulation in tissues increased (roots>shoot>leaves) as external metal concentration increased, while nutrients accumulation (K, P, Mg, Fe) and chlorophyll contents declined. The results indicated that Cd and Cr are toxic to E. camaldulensis.

¹Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan.

²Department of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan.

³University College of Agriculture, B.Z. University, Multan, Pakistan.

E-mail: fazalshah1@yahoo.com