review · Plant Stress
Heavy metal contamination in soils poses serious environmental challenges, creating a need for sustainable mitigation approaches. Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi can significantly improve plant growth, development, and resilience under heavy metal stress. Pairing these microorganisms with suitable host plant families, particularly Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, and Poaceae, provides an effective phytoremediation strategy. Specific fungal species from genera such as Glomus and Rhizophagus, alongside bacterial species including Bacillus and Pseudomonas, markedly bolster remediation outcomes. When used together, the synergistic relationship between bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi amplifies plant resistance to heavy metals and enhances overall soil restoration. Harnessing these combined microbial systems presents a promising biological method for environmental recovery, with crop-specific formulations offering potential advancements for agriculture in contaminated lands.
Heavy metal pollution degrades soil quality and threatens agricultural productivity. Conventional cleanup methods can be costly and disruptive. Utilizing natural plant-microbe partnerships offers an ecological, non-invasive alternative for land rehabilitation. Understanding how specific bacteria and fungi cooperate with resilient plant families enables the development of biological tools to restore damaged ecosystems and support safer food production on affected soils.
This work highlights potential applications in bio-fertilisers, microbial inoculants, and phytoremediation services for land restoration and contaminated agricultural soil management. The primary users would be environmental remediation contractors, agricultural input developers, and land managers. However, as a systematic review highlighting the need to unravel mechanisms and optimise synergies, the technology remains largely at an early research stage, requiring translation into validated, field-ready formulations before commercial deployment.
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In response to mounting concerns over heavy metal contamination in soils, this review explores the potential of beneficial soil microorganisms, particularly Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), as a sustainable solution. These microorganisms play a pivotal role in enhancing plant growth, development, and resilience against heavy metal stress. Effective phytoremediation strategies depend on selecting suitable plant families, including Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, and Poaceae, known for their unique attributes that contribute to heavy metal mitigation. Utilizing beneficial microbes and fostering plant-microbe interactions, commonly termed as 'green technology,' offers a compelling strategy to address heavy metal contamination and promote environmental restoration. AMF species like Glomus and Rhizophagus, and PGPR species belonging to Bacillus and Pseudomonas, significantly enhance phytoremediation. The synergistic interaction between (AMF) and (PGPR) represents a significant advancement, especially in heavy metal-contaminated soils. This interaction amplifies plant growth, enhances resistance to heavy metals, and holds promise for soil restoration and phytoremediation. Future research should focus on elucidating the underlying mechanisms, optimizing synergies, and translating findings into practical applications. Tailored, crop-specific approaches may revolutionize agriculture, considering long-term effects and multi-stress tolerance.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.stress.2024.100391
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