Gupta, A. K.Saini, Prabhjot Kaur2017-06-032017-06-032013http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810015742The present study was carried out on pea (Pisum sativum L.) seedlings and palak (Beta vulgaris var. orientalis) plants to determine the effect of exogenous cadmium on their growth and antioxidative defence system, and to explore the role of different amendments like calcium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium hydrogen phosphate, calcium sulphate and sodium nitroprusside in ameliorating the effects of cadmium toxicity. P. sativum seedlings grown on agar supplemented with different amending agents like calcium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium nitroprusside showed higher activities of H2O2 scavenging enzymes. P. sativum seedlings also showed lower contents of H2O2 and malondialdehyde in these cases suggesting a role for the amendments in increasing seedling tolerance towards cadmium. Out of the three amendments calcium chloride was most effective in lowering cadmium content. In B. vulgaris plants grown in pots, addition of cadmium (0-100 mg Cd kg-1soil) led to increase in the contents of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde and activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione reductase in leaves and roots. On addition of calcium chloride, potassium chloride, alcium hydrogen phosphate and calcium sulphate to the soil, a reduction in the activities of ntioxidative enzymes was observed at higher doses of amendments along with reduction in hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde and cadmium content. Also improved growth was observed in these cases. In B. vulgaris, leaves are the edible parts and results in lowering cadmium with CaSO4 were almost as good as that of KCl while in roots CaHPO4 was found to be more effective.enPisum sativum L., Beta vulgaris, antioxidative enzymes, cadmium, hydrogen peroxideThesis