Screening of tomato cultivars in cadmium-polluted areas and study on their antioxidant capacity

Summary

This study screened 25 tomato cultivars grown in cadmium-polluted soil in southern China to identify varieties with low cadmium accumulation potential for safe production in contaminated areas. All 25 cultivars accumulated fruit cadmium levels exceeding international food safety limits (0.05 mg/kg), but significant variation existed: fruit cadmium ranged from 1.47 to 3.06 mg/kg DW. Hydroponic experiments confirmed that low-accumulating varieties (e.g. Zhefen 3053) showed slower cadmium uptake and delayed oxidative stress responses compared to high-accumulating varieties, suggesting potential for breeding or cultivar selection in moderately contaminated agricultural systems.

Regional applicability

This work addresses cadmium soil contamination management in horticultural production, a concern in parts of China with legacy heavy metal pollution. The screening approach and findings on cultivar-level accumulation differences may have limited direct applicability to United Kingdom conditions, where cadmium-polluted arable land is less common, but the methodology and molecular-assisted breeding perspective could inform strategies for managing trace contaminants in UK horticulture, particularly in areas with historical industrial or sewage sludge inputs.

Key measures

Cadmium content in fruit (mg/kg DW), plant height, total biomass, yield, cadmium absorption rate, oxidative stress response time, tolerance to cadmium stress under 2.94 mg/kg Cd concentration

Outcomes reported

The study identified differences in cadmium accumulation across 25 tomato cultivars grown in cadmium-polluted soil and determined their physiological responses to cadmium stress through soil culture and hydroponic experiments. Plant height, biomass, yield, and fruit cadmium content were measured, along with oxidative stress response times in contrasting cultivars.

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