Objective  Sweet corn inbred lines low in accumulating Pb and Cd were identified, and a molecular detection method for the pollutants examined.

  Method  Ten sweet corn inbred lines were tested on Pb and Cd accumulation. In a pot experiment, the heavy metals in roots, stems/leaves, and kernels of the plants grown on soil with spiked Pb and/or Cd were measured over time. Applicability of a molecular detection method on Pb and Cd at the InDel locus of ZmHMA2 in corn plant was scrutinized.

  Result  The accumulation of Pb and Cd in organs of a corn plant was roots＞stems/leaves＞kernels. It did not differ significantly whether the metal elements were presented individually or simultaneously in the soil. Two inbred lines were identified to retain in the kernels less on Pb, 3 on Cd, and only Mintian X901 on both Pb and Cd. The targeted molecular detection found InDel 2307 locus in 4 of the specimens, the average content of Cd which contained were 1.801 mg·kg⁻¹ lower in the roots, 0.64 mg·kg⁻¹ lower in the stems/leaves, and 0.131 mg·kg⁻¹ lower in the kernels compared to the average of the other varieties.

  Conclusion  The InDel 2307 locus as a marker displayed a specificity in differentiating Cd content in corn plants grown on soils contaminated with different levels of the heavy metals. The molecular detection result and the Pb and Cd contents on the 10 sweet corn inbred lines indicated that Mintian X901 was the cultivar least prone to accumulate the pollutants.