Photosynthetic variation and yield attributes of two mustard varieties against cadmium phytotoxicity

Excess cadmium accumulation in shoot decreases the photosynthetic attributes and the activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA; E.C. 4.2.1.1) thereby retarding plant growth metabolism, in a cultivar dependent manner. Two mustard (Brassica juncea) varieties were treated with increasing cadmium doses (0, 25, 50 or 100 mg CdCl2 kg−1 of soil) in the soil in a net house. The photosynthetic features, activity of CA, and the yield attributes were recorded in association with morphological characters. A clear-cut difference in these features was noted among the varieties, where Varuna excelled in its resistance to the cadmium toxicity with better growth and yield, at harvest.