Effects of cadmium stress on seedling growth of perennial ryegrass germplasm

Pot experiment was conducted to study the cadmium tolerance of 20 Lolium perenne germplasm to cadmium stress. Seedling survival rate, plant height, tillers number, aboveground and underground biomass and varietal cadmium tolerance were tested. With the increasing concentrations of cadmium, relative survival rate and relative underground biomass of L.perenne germplasm decreased significantly (P0.05), and relative plant height, relative tiller number and relative above-ground biomass increased firstly and declined lately. Significant differences in cadmium tolerance were observed among 20 germplasm. Comprehensive evaluation through the membership function method revealed that All-star from Japan (L.p12) and Arnold from the Netherlands (L.p13) had high tolerance to cadmium and Lee Eun from the United States (L.p18) and Levy Earle from the United Kingdom (L.p16) had less tolerance to cadmium.