Phosphorus content and growth of fenugreek as affected by cadmium application

Changes in growth and phosphorus content in plants and seeds of fenugreek with increasing cadmium concentration was evaluated. Root length and shoot length ranged from 11.63 to 27.72 and from 9.70 to 54.78 cm, respectively. With the increasing Cd2+ concentration there was a significant decrease in root and shoot length, and fresh mass. Various phosphorus fractions of shoot decreased with increasing Cd2+ concentration except lipid P and nucleic acid P which increased at 65 and 95 d after sowing and protein P only increased at vegetative stage. In seeds (60 d after flowering) lipid P increased except at 2.5 μg(Cd2+) g-1 (soil) while protein P decreased.