The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of soil drench with three different concentrations of CdCl 2 on growth criteria, ions content and water relations of Sorghum bicolor plants. Also particular interest was focused on the effect of grain presoaking with kinetin in order to ameliorate the toxicity effects exerted by the different levels of CdCl 2 . In general, the results showed, that the observed suppression in growth criteria (i.e. root length, root fresh and dry weights, plant height, shoot fresh and dry weights, cumulative leaf area as well as root/shoot ratio), ions content (i.e. K + , Na + , Ca 2+ and Cd 2+ ), water relations (i.e. total leaf conductivity, transpiration rate and relative water content) in response to CdCl 2 was relieved either partially or completely when grains were presoaked in kinetin (50 ppm). The alleviating effect of kinetin for Cd 2+ toxicity was more pronounced in response to 1 mM CdCl 2 treatment.