Effect of heavy metal cadmium on the epidermal traits of some crops.

To evaluate the cadmium effect on foliar epidermal traits, five molar conce ntrations of cadmium chloride (10(3) M-10(-7) M) were used for treating the seeds/seedlings of four commercially important crops (Carthamus tinctorius cv. Tara, Cicer arietinum cv. K-468, Hordeum vulgare cv. Jyoti and Setaria italica cv. Saket-4). It was observed that CdCl2 treatment could increase/ decrease the epidermal cells per unit area and stomata per unit area of sto matal pore. Cadmium chloride treatments could also induce several types of stomatal anomalies like stomata with unequal guard cells/subsidiary cells, stomata with more or less than one guard cells/subsidiary cells, disintegra tion of guard cells/subsidiary cells. It was observed that Cicer arietinum has shown less susceptiblity to cadmium as compared to the other crops.