Impatiens walleriana (I. walleriana), a potential cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator, can propagate by cuttings, which are less expensive to grow than seedlings. Different growth periods for cuttings, however, may lead to different physiological characteristics. In this study, I. walleriana cuttings were hydroponically grown in Cd-containing solutions (1.0-10.0 μM) for various growth periods (10-60 days). Experimental results showed that the Cd treatments had negative effects on growth compared to the controls that were not spiked with Cd. The extension of the growth period promoted most of the growth exhibitions of I. walleriana, except for SPAD readings for cuttings grown in the 5.0 and 10.0 μM solutions. The accumulation of Cd also increased over time, except in the roots of the cuttings grown in the 5.0 and 10.0 μM solutions. The subcellular distribution and chemical forms of Cd showed that I. walleriana developed better tolerance and detoxification capacities in the cuttings grown in the 5.0 and 10.0 μM solutions than in the cuttings grown in the other two Cd treatments.
Keywords: Cadmium; Chemical form; Impatiens walleriana; Phytoextraction; Subcellular distribution.