Leguminous Plants and Microbial Inoculation: An Approach for Biocatalytic Phytoremediation of Tebuthiuron in Agricultural Soil
Herbicides are important for weed control but can severely impact ecosystems, causing soil and water contamination, biodiversity loss, and harm to non-target organisms. Tebuthiuron, widely used in sugarcane cultivation, is highly soluble and persistent, posing significant environmental risks. Microb...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/12/2805 |
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| Summary: | Herbicides are important for weed control but can severely impact ecosystems, causing soil and water contamination, biodiversity loss, and harm to non-target organisms. Tebuthiuron, widely used in sugarcane cultivation, is highly soluble and persistent, posing significant environmental risks. Microbial inoculation has emerged as a sustainable strategy to mitigate such damage. This study investigated the phytoremediation potential of <i>Mucuna pruriens</i> and <i>Canavalia ensiformis</i> in tebuthiuron-contaminated soils, enhanced by fungal and bacterial inoculants. <i>Crotalaria juncea</i> served as a bioindicator plant, and <i>Lactuca sativa</i> was used in ecotoxicological bioassays. During a 140-day greenhouse experiment from September 2021 to March 2022, <i>M. pruriens</i> showed faster growth than <i>C. ensiformis</i> in uncontaminated soils but was more affected by tebuthiuron. Bacterial inoculants improved <i>M. pruriens</i> growth under stress, while fungal inoculants mitigated tebuthiuron’s effects on <i>C. ensiformis</i>. <i>C. juncea</i> exhibited high sensitivity to tebuthiuron but grew beyond 100 cm with bacterial inoculants. Ecotoxicological assays showed that bacterial bioaugmentation significantly reduced soil toxicity. Natural attenuation further decreased tebuthiuron toxicity, and prior cultivation of <i>M. pruriens</i> enhanced soil detoxification. This integrated approach combining phytoremediation and bioaugmentation offers a sustainable method to degrade tebuthiuron, foster safer agriculture, and reduce environmental and health risks. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4395 |