Abstract: The high-yielding and Cd resistant cultivars have great implications for ensuring food security. In this study, the screening process on eighteen rice cultivars were carried out in the moderately and slightly Cd-contaminated field through a comprehensive quantitative evaluation (CQE) method. We considered differences in yield, Cd uptake, transfer factor (TF), and accumulation in cultivars with different weights for these evaluation indices. The results showed that JR-9 (Hu Xiangjing 106), JR-2 (Hu Zaoxiang Ruan-1), JR-7 (8333), JR-15 (Baonong 34) and JR-8 (Nan Jing 9108) exhibited high-yield and low-Cd-accumulation as assessed by the CQE method. JR-8 showed the maximum yield, followed by JR-9, JR-7, and JR-15 compared to the other cultivars. The Cd contents varied in different rice cultivars, with lower contents in the JR-9, JR-15 and JR-7 than the other cultivars. JR-2 showed the lowest TF value and the highest straw Cd accumulation, thus representing high-yield and low-Cd-accumulation rice cultivar. The CQE method can scientifically evaluate high-yield and low-Cd-accumulation rice cultivars. The five rice cultivars screened out in this study can be recommended as low Cd accumulation cultivars for moderately and slightly Cd contaminated croplands to fulfill the national food safety limit standard for Cd contents in rice.

Key words: rice, cadmium uptake and accumulation, straw removal, genotypic difference, comprehensive quantitative evaluation method.