The effect of 4-chloroindole-3-acetic acid on some growth parameters in mung bean under cadmium stress

Seedlings of mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) cv. T-44 grown on a sand culture were exposed to cadmium(Cd) (100 (mu)M) on day 10 of growth. These seedlings were subsequently sprayed with deionized water (control) or 4-chloroindole-3-acetic acid (4-Cl-IAA) (10-6 M) on day 15 and were sampled 30 days after sowing to assess growth andmetabolite content. Growth (length, and fresh and dry mass of roots and shoots) and the level of metabolites (chlorophyll,nitrogen, phosphorus, total sugar, and soluble protein) in the leaves significantly decrease in response to Cd stress;however, the 4-Cl-IAA (10-6 M) treatment, both in the absence and presence of Cd, significantly increased the parameters studied. The response generated in the plants grown under stress-free conditions was more prominent, as compared inthose exposed to Cd.