Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Tolerates Chelator Stress Showing Varietal Differences and Concentration Dependence

The world’s arable land has been contaminated by heavy metals to a large extent, which led the decreasing availability of farmland. Thus, remediation metal pollution deserves due attention, and phytoremediation is preferred. Hemp proposed as an ideal alternative crop for remediating heavy-metal-contaminated soil, owing its well-developed roots, biomass, tolerance metals. Chelators can activate enhance plant absorption, but they may cause stress growth. Therefore, it very important optimize combination chelator (cultivar) efficacious phytoremediation. effects different concentrations (2, 5, 10, 15, 25 mmol·L−1) chelators disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate (EDTA) citric acid (CA) on seed germination growth hemp cultivars were investigated. Triple application increasing EDTA or CA two days apart gradually reduced potential, rate, radicle length, embryonic shoot length seed, although 2 mmol·L−1 could even promote germination. Distinct varietal differences found in response stress. Under scheme four-time uses one week apart, both caused concentration-dependent linear decrease height, stem diameter, biomass plants, inhibition was relatively milder. This be partially explained change tested physiological indices leaf. In conclusion, helped with almost nontoxic growth; cultivar BM more tolerant than Y1.