Phytoremediation: a transgenic perspective in omics era.

Phytoremediation is an environmental safety strategy that might serve as a viable preventative approach to reduce soil contamination in a cost-effective manner. Using plants to remediate pollution from the environment is referred to as phytoremediation. In the past few decades, plants have undergone genetic manipulation to overcome inherent limitations by using genetically modified plants. This review illustrates the eco-friendly process of cleaning the environment using transgenic strategies combined with omics technologies. Herbicides tolerance and phytoremediation abilities have been established in genetically modified plants. Transgenic plants have eliminated the pesticides atrazine and metolachlor from the soil. To expand the application of genetically engineered plants for phytoremediation process, it is essential to test strategies in the field and have contingency planning. Omics techniques were used for understanding various genetic, hormonal, and metabolic pathways responsible for phytoremediation in soil. Transcriptomics and metabolomics provide useful information as resources to understand the mechanisms behind phytoremediation. This review aims to highlight the integration of transgenic strategies and omics technologies to enhance phytoremediation efficiency, emphasizing the need for field testing and comprehensive planning for successful implementation.

Understanding vermicompost and organic manure interactions: impact on toxic elements, nitrification activity, comammox Nitrospira inopinata, and archaea/bacteria.

Vermicompost is a substantial source of nutrients, promotes soil fertility, and maintains or increases soil organic matter levels. Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in vermicompost impact on nitrification activity. However, it is yet unknown how vermicompost affects nitrifying bacteria and archaea, comammox Nitrospira inopinata (complete ammonia oxidizers), net nitrification rates (NNRs), and PTEs. The effects of vermicompost application on NNRs, potential nitrification rates (NPs), PTEs, and the abundances of comammox N. inopinata bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)/archaea (AOA) were studied. NNRs and NPs were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fresh cow-dung vermicompost (stored for 40 days) as compared with other organic manure. The level of PTEs (Cu2+, Fe2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in vermicompost as compared with compost of waste material with Trichoderma and cow dung. Comammox N. inopinata, NOB, AOB, and AOA were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in stored cow-dung vermicompost (more than 1 year) as compared with other organic manure. The results of the scatterplot matrix analysis suggested that Fe2+, total nitrogen (TN), soil organic carbon (SOC), and total carbon (TC) were linearly correlated (p < 0.001) with NNRs and NPs in vermicompost and organic manure. Similarly, comammox N. inopinata bacteria, NOB, AOB, and AOA were linearly correlated (p < 0.001) with NNR and NP. These results indicated that vermicompost promoted nitrification activity by increasing microbial diversity and abundance, supplying nutrients and organic matter for microbial growth, and facilitating complex microbial interactions. It may be concluded that the influence of vermicompost, which played a great role in PTE concentration reduction, increased chemical, and biological properties, increased the growth rate of nitrifying bacteria/archaea and the nitrogen cycle.