Variation of cadmium uptake, translocation among rice lines and detecting for potential cadmium-safe cultivars

Cadmium (Cd) pollution highly threats to rice consumption for humans. This study aims to investigate the variation of Cd uptake and translocation among rice lines and to screen cadmium-safe cultivars (CSCs). Total of 146 rice lines were grown in artificially Cd pollution hydroponics within 30 day followed by a pot culture in which 17 rice lines were planted and treated with different Cd levels until maturity. The results showed that Cd tolerance and Cd accumulation significantly (p < 0.05) varied among 146 rice lines in the hydroponics experiment as well as among the 17 rice lines in the followed pot culture. Cd contents of brown rice significantly correlated with Cd accumulations in plant and their translocation from vegetative organs to edible parts, implying that extremely attention should paid to Cd translocation and its influence factors for CSCs selection. IRBN95-90 and D26B of maintainer lines and Lu5278-I332, Lu17-T21712, Lu17-I2R60 of restorer lines were detected to be potential CSCs under 2 and 10 mg kg−1 Cd level, which confirmed the feasibility of selection of CSCs from rice lines. Therefore, the study confirmed the variations of Cd uptake and translocation among rice lines and a combinatorial and recursive selection process is feasible and affordable to screen CSCs to reduce Cd risk for rice consumption.