|He, Shanying -|
|He, Zhenli -|
|Yang, Xiaoe -|
Submitted to: Advances in Agronomy
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: April 16, 2012
Publication Date: September 1, 2013
Citation: He, S., He, Z., Yang, X., Baligar, V.C. 2013. Mechanisms of nickel uptake, and hyperaccumulation by plants and implications to soil remediation. Advances in Agronomy. 117:117-189. Technical Abstract: Soil contamination by heavy metals like Ni was originally restricted to metalliferous soils but in recent years it has become a general problem due to the increasingly frequent anthropogenic activities. Because of the characteristics of cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and fewer side effects, the development of plant based remediation technologies for the clean-up of Ni contaminated soils has attracted much attention. Nickel is an essential micronutrient but is toxic to plants at excessive levels. Some plant species can accumulate Ni in the shoots at a high concentration, these plants are called hyperaccumulator. In the past two decades, researches have endeavored to understand the physiological and molecular mechanisms of Ni uptake, transport and detoxification in the Ni hyperaccumulator plants. That is the basis of creating the ideal plants for phytoremediation through cell and genetic engineering technologies, which may subsequently improve the application of phytoremediation for decontamination of Ni contaminated soils. Besides, both rhizosphere microorganisms and endophytes can play a role in phytoremediation. Optimizing plant and soil management practices, particularly the correction of soil pH and additions of amendments of exogenous chelates and fertilizers, can also assist in improvement of phytoremediation of Ni contaminated soils. The primary objective of this review is to discuss the recent developments in basic and applied research relevant to phytoremediation of Ni contaminated soils.