Jhanji, ShaliniSingla, Himani2021-09-102021-09-102020Singla, Himani (2020). Morpho-physiological responses of Chrysanthemum coronarium and Calendula officinalis to hyperaccumulation of cadmium (Unpublished M.Sc. thesis). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810175609The present investigation entitled ―Morpho-Physiological responses of Chrysanthemum coronarium and Calendula officinalis to hyperaccumulation of cadmium‖ was conducted in the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping and Department of Botany, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during the year 2019-20. The seedlings of Chrysanthemum coronarium and Calendula officinalis were planted in pots filled with soil treated with different concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 ppm) of cadmium (Cd ) ,applied as Cd(NO3)2. Growth parameters viz. plant height, number of leaves, leaf area per plant, leaf dry weight, number of flowers, flower diameter, of both the ornamentals were affected with increase in Cd concentration but at 20 ppm there was no adverse effect on growth of Calendula. Cadmium retarded plant growth as dry weight of Chrysanthemum roots declined by 20%, stem by 31% and leaves by 14% under 100 ppm Cd application and the corresponding values for Calendula were 18, 28 and 14% respectively. With increase in Cd concentration, there was reduction in moisture content, relative water content and membrane integrity of leaves and petals of both plant species. Significant reduction in various biochemical parameters viz., total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins, chlorophyll and carotenoid content was also recorded with increase in Cd concentrations. There was increase in Cd content in roots, stem, leaves and flowers of both ornamentals, being higher in Calendula than Chrysanthemum. DTPA-extractable Cd in soil was decreased from equilibrium to budding to commercial harvest and decline being highest under 60 ppm, 45.75% in Calendula and 34% in Chrysanthemum showing greater Cd uptake by roots of Calendula and high mobility index (MI) from soil to root than Chrysanthemum whereas uptake was recorded to be more by stem of Chrysanthemum than Calendula due to its higher biomass. Both Calendula and Chrysanthemum showed Bio-concentration factor (BCF) and Translocation factor (TF) to be more than 1 whereas Enrichment factor (EF) and Remediation factor(RF) were more than 1 in both species but higher in Calendula than Chrysanthemum. Thus, besides commercial significance of Calendula and Chrysanthemum both ornamentals can be used for phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soils.EnglishThesis