ABSTRACT
Population growth increases the need for food production, coupled in may cases with the indiscriminate use of fertilizers and incorporation of transgenic plants in the production system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cadmium on the growth of Bt transgenic corn and non-transgenic corn, inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi under controlled conditions. For that purpose, an experiment was set up in a 5 × 4 × 2 factorial arrangement with five Cd rates (0, 28.5, 71.50, 142.50, and 285 mg kg-1); individual inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) represented by Glomus clarum, Acaulospora scrobiculata, and Scutellospora heterogama, plus a non-inoculated control; two corn hybrids, Monsanto DKB-390 (Bt) and DKB-S; and three replicates per treatment, for a total of 120 experimental units, each consisting of a 500 mL plastic container. The experiment was conducted for 45 days, and then the properties related to plant growth and mycorrhizal colonization were evaluated. The Cd rates applied did not affect the growth of Bt transgenic corn and non-transgenic, corn, regardless of AMFs inoculation. The Bt transgenic corn did not respond to inoculation, with mycorrhizal colonization from 14 to 33 %, whereas non-transgenic corn had mycorrhizal colonization from 32 to 74 %.
heavy metals; arbuscular mycorrhiza; genetically modified plant