SCREENING FLAX FOR IDENTIFYING CADMIUM TOLERANT CULTIVARS FOR GROWTH IN POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT

Toxic metal pollutants such as cadmium disrupt all stages of plant development. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) has demonstrated the ability to tolerate and accumulate high amounts of cadmium, making it suitable for phytoremediation. Within-species variability of cadmium tolerance and uptake needs to be examined in controled conditions to assess multiple beneficial, or even required traits for use in phytoremediation programs. In this study, 31 flax cultivars were screened for their ability to germinate and grow in the presence of a sublethal concentration of cadmium (20 mg.kg-1). Several parameters, including growth indicators and photosynthesis performance, were analyzed using principal component analysis. A subset of flax cultivars was then selected for measuring cadmium uptake using gamma spectrometry. The results showed that the cultivars Belinka, Diana, Laura, Marina, Flanders, and Jitka have comparable metal uptake and transfer to shoots. Among these, the cultivar Jitka proved to be the best candidate for phytoremediation, consistent with previous reports.