Grain yield and cadmium concentration of a range of grain legume species grown on two soil types at Merredin, Western Australia

Five grain legumes species, narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), field pea (Pisum sativum L.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), and yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.), were grown on 2 soil types, a red clay and red duplex soil, in the < 400 mm rainfall district of Western Australia. The study showed that chickpea, field pea and faba bean accumulated less cadmium (Cd) in dried shoots and grain than narrow-leafed lupin. Yellow lupin had Cd concentrations ~3 times higher in dried shoots and ~9 times higher in grain than narrow-leafed lupin. For both experiments, the ranking (lowest to highest) of mean Cd concentration (mg Cd/kg) in the grain was: chickpea (0.017) < field pea (0.024) = faba bean (0.024) < narrow-leafed lupin (0.033) < yellow lupin (0.300).