Effect of Metals or Trace Elements on Wheat Growth and Its Remediation in Contaminated Soil

Among numerous soil problems, metals or trace elements (TEs) accumulation is one of the significant agronomic tasks which have extremely threatened food safety. Due to these, soil agronomists in recent times have also raised concerns over metal pollution, which indeed are obnoxious, disturbing the agricultural ecosystems and agricultural crops. Because metals are not biodegradable, they can survive in the environment, enter the food chain via crop plants, and accumulate in the human body through bio- magnification. Once harmful metals have accumulated over specifically permitted thresholds, they negatively impact microbiota density, composition, physiological activity, soil dynamics, and fertility, leading ultimately to a decrease in wheat production via the food chain, human and animal health. Overall wheat growth and yield decrease with an increasing quantity of TES. So, land contamination must be remedied as soon as possible. Phytoremediation is an environmentally benign strategy that could be a cost-effective solution to revegetate trace metal-polluted soil. Certain microorganisms, particularly those belonging to the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) group, have been identified as having the unique property of metal tolerance and exhibiting unique plant growth-promoting potentials in order to reduce the magnitude of metal-induced changes. By delivering macro and micronutrients and secreting active biomolecules such as extracellular polymorphic substances (EPS), melanin, and metallothionein (MTs), such metal-tolerant PGPR have shown varying favorable impacts on wheat productivity in soils even contaminated with TEs. In this review, we explore the mechanisms by which metals are taken up, and their effect on plant growth, translocation, and detoxification in plants. We concentrate on the ways used to improve phytostabilization and phytoextraction efficiencies, such as genetic engineering, microbe-assisted, and chelate-assisted procedures.

Automated summary

The accumulation of metals or trace elements in soil poses a significant threat to food safety and agricultural ecosystems. Phytoremediation, using metal-tolerant microorganisms, is an environmentally friendly solution to improve wheat productivity in metal-polluted soils.