Abstract: Heavy metals Pb and Cr are two primary environment pollutants. Pb and Cr are neither essential nutrient elements for the growth of plants, nor participates in the process of cell metabolism. The differences in growth response to Pb, Cr stress and their uptake and accumulation of foxtail millet (Setaria italica(L) Beauv) seedlings were studied using a pot culturing after treatment for 30 d. The results indicated that at the concentrations of 50-800 mg·kg^-1, there were significant differences in the content of Pb, Cr in the roots and shoots of foxtail millet seedlings. In the seedlings, both the uptake coefficients and transmission coefficients of Pb were higher than those of Cr. Both Pb and Cr stress improved the biomass of seedlings at low concentrations while inhibited at high concentrations, however, the effect of Cr was stronger than that of Pb. At the same treatment condition, there were significant differences in the content of soluble protein, DNA content and DNA hyperchromic effect between Cr and Pb in foxtail millet seedlings, and the order of two heavy metals on the phytotoxic effects and DNA damage effects was Cr>Pb.

Key words: foxtail millet(Setaria italica(L) Beauv), lead, chromium, biomass, uptake and accumulation