Seed Germination of Five Turf Grasses under Cadmium Stress

In this article,tests were conducted on the seed germination of five kinds of turf grass under Cadmium stress.Comparisons were made on the changes of germination rate, germination index and toxicity rate of Trifolium repens,Medicago sativa,Cynodon dactylon,Zoysia japonica and Zoysia matrella under different concentrations of Cd²+ treatments. The results showed that higher Cd²+ concentration decreased the seeds germination rate,and increased the toxicity rate.The germination index showed a decreasing tendency to all grasses on the whole. The tolerance to Cd²+ successively diminished for Zoysia matrella,Zoysia japonica,Trifolium repens,Medicago sativa,and Cynodon dactylon. The low concentration of Cadmium treatment promoted the germination of Zoysia matrella. The study provided reference for the seed selection of turf grass in reducing Cd²+ pollution, and also laid a foundation in the study of the defense mechanism for turf grass under heavy metal stress.