Ni tolerance and its distinguished amelioration by chelating agents is reflected in root radius of B. napus cultivars

The negative effect of excess nickel (Ni) on plants is well investigated but there is only little information on its influence on root anatomy and a possible amelioration by chelating agents. In this study, we utilized light microscopy to observe anatomical changes in canola (Brassica napus) roots and investigated the element content by X-ray microanalysis. Ni-tolerant (Con-II) and Ni-sensitive cultivars (Oscar) were selected for this purpose. The plants were treated with 30 ppm NiSO(4). Then, citric acid and ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) (alone or in combination) were applied to observe the influence of chelating agents in metal stress amelioration. Ni treatment led to significant swelling of the roots in the Con-II variety as compared to the cultivar Oscar. Application of EDTA reduced the root radius of Con-II plants and this effect for Ni tolerance is discussed. According to X-ray microanalyses, Ni ions were more dispersed in the sensitive cultivar as indicated by metal adsorption to the cell wall. We investigate the hypothesis that an enhanced capacity of binding metals to the cell wall allows the plants to tolerate more heavy metals.