Iron plaque formation on roots of different rice cultivars and the relation with lead uptake

The relationships between lead (Pb) uptake and iron/manganese plaque formation on rice roots were investigated with three cultivars. The results showed that the rice cultivars with indica consanguinity were more sensitive to soil Pb stress than the cultivar with japonica consanguinity. Pb concentrations and distribution ratios in root tissues were in the order: Shanyou 63 > Yangdao 6 > Wuyunjing 7, but Pb and Fe concentrations and distribution ratios in the plaques showed a reverse order. Mn concentrations and distribution ratios in the plaques of Wuyunjing 7 were significantly higher (P < 0.01 or 0.05) than those of Shanyou 63 and Yangdao 6. The results indicate that iron/manganese plaque on rice root can provide a barrier to soil Pb stress. The plaque will increase sequestration of Pb on rice root surface and in the rhizosphere, providing a means of external exclusion of soil Pb to some extent.