Cadmium-Induced Changes in the Growth and Carbonic Anhydrase Activity of Chickpea

The seedlings of Cicer arietinum, grown in sand culture, were supplied with 0, 50, 100 or 150(mu)M of cadmium in the form of cadmium chloride at 5, 15 or 25 day stage and assessed for specific characteristics, 10 days after each treatment. It was ageneral observation in all the samplings that length, fresh and dry mass of both root and shoot and activity of carbonic anhydrasein leaf decreased, whereas proline content both in leaf and root increased. The intensity of the damage was proportionate with the concentration of the metal but was prominent at the earliest stage of growth (i.e. 5 days). Values for all the observed parameters increased as the growth of the seedling progressed.