ABSTRACT
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most harmful and widespread heavy metals in agricultural soils. The metal enters from anthropogenic processes, transfers to plants, accumulates in edible parts, and leads to chronic toxic effects in human beings (Templeton & Liu 2010). Paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.), the staple food for Chinese people, is a major source of Cd intake. Therefore, effective measures are needed to reduce rice Cd levels. Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans and animals. Others have recently reported that Se amendments mitigate heavy metal accumulation and toxicity in various plants (Feng et al. 2013). In the present study, hydroponic culture and pot experiments were used to investigate the effects of Se on Cd uptake, translocation and accumulation in rice.
