Salicornia is a genus of salt-tolerant plants capable of growing and producing biomass under conditions that severely constrain conventional agriculture. Beyond its ecological niche as a halophyte, Salicornia has emerged as a multifunctional crop for sustainable food, feed, and bio-based production in saline landscapes. The increasing generation of saline wastewaters and brines from aquaculture, municipal treatment, agro-industrial activities, and greenhouse systems intensifies the need for natural solutions that can recover resources while protecting soils and receiving ecosystems. This review synthesizes current understanding of how Salicornia species perform when irrigated with saline wastewaters, with particular attention to their dual role as productive crops and phytoremediation agents. It further examines the biological mechanisms underlying salt tolerance and the influence of wastewater characteristics on biomass production and phytoremediation performance. Overall, the evidence indicates that Salicornia performs particularly well in nutrient-rich, controlled saline effluents, whereas more complex wastewater matrices require careful contaminant management to ensure biomass quality and safe reuse. This synthesis positions Salicornia as a fundamental species for circular and climate-resilient strategies linking saline wastewater reuse with crop production, while emphasizing that standardized reporting, long-term field validation, and contaminant-aware biomass management remain essential to support wider adoption.
Millettia pinnata is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing leguminous tree that has attracted considerable attention for its ecological, economic, and environmental significance. This review aims to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of Millettia pinnata in industrial waste-contaminated environments and to examine the physiological, biochemical, and ecological mechanisms that support its remediation efficiency. Available studies indicate that the species can effectively tolerate, accumulate, stabilise, and detoxify a wide range of contaminants, including chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, manganese, and lead. Its strong antioxidant defence system, extensive root architecture, and symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia enable successful growth in nutrient-deficient and polluted soils while enhancing soil fertility and ecosystem recovery. Furthermore, the species provides significant economic benefits through the production of biodiesel, sustainable aviation fuel, organic fertilisers, biopesticides, and activated carbon. These multifunctional attributes make Millettia pinnata an attractive option for integrating environmental remediation with sustainable resource utilization. Overall, the evidence highlights the considerable potential of Millettia pinnata as a sustainable tool for contaminated land management, ecological restoration, carbon sequestration, and renewable energy production. However, further long-term field-based studies are required to optimize its large-scale application and improve its effectiveness under diverse environmental conditions.
Bhavesh Chandra, Rajesh Kumar, Gunjan Verma et al.· Journal of Scientific Resear...· 0 citations
Hybrid MSL treatment reduces pollutants and microbial contamination while retaining nutrients. MSL treated wastewater supports optimal rosemary growth and soil fertility, with moderate salinity and lower oxidative stress.
Water scarcity in arid and semi-arid regions necessitates sustainable alternatives for irrigation. This study assessed the effects of raw wastewater (RWW), treated wastewater (TWW) produced by a hybrid multi-soil-layering (MSL) system, and well water (WW) on soil properties and the physiological, biochemical, and oxidative stress responses of Rosmarinus officinalis. The MSL system achieved high removal efficiencies for total suspended solids (97%), chemical oxygen demand (88.6%), total phosphorus (79.9%), and total nitrogen (88.5%), and significantly reduced pathogenic indicators. The resulting TWW met Moroccan irrigation standards while retaining essential nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg). Soils irrigated with RWW showed elevated electrical conductivity, sodium accumulation, and organic matter, indicating potential salinity and sodicity risks. In contrast, TWW irrigation maintained moderate salinity and improved nutrient availability without exceeding safety limits. RWW enhanced chlorophyll and carbohydrate contents but induced pronounced oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide dismutase activity. TWW promoted superior plant growth (dry biomass and shoot height) while maintaining lower oxidative stress levels. WW irrigation resulted in the lowest growth, likely due to nutrient deficiencies. Overall, TWW represents a safe and nutrient-rich irrigation source for rosemary in arid regions, improving soil fertility and plant performance while minimizing stress.
Aya Kammoun, N. Ouazzani, Richard Mugani et al.· Water Reuse· 0 citations
The Rosaceae family includes some of the most economically important fruit and nut crops worldwide, such as apples, strawberries, and almonds. Increasing market demand and climate constraints have intensified reliance on synthetic fertilizers, leading to environmental degradation and reduced ecosystem resilience. In response, sustainable alternatives, such as organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and biostimulants, have gained increasing attention. Here, we review recent findings in the application of these ecofriendly inputs in Rosaceae crops, using almonds (Prunus dulcis) as a representative case study. We highlight the roles of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in improving nutrient availability, stress tolerance, soil fertility, and crop productivity through mechanisms including biological nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, phytohormone modulation, and enhanced plant defense responses. Evidence from field, greenhouse, and controlled experimental studies has indicated that rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, as well as organic fertilizers, enhance nutrient uptake, photosynthetic efficiency, fruit yields, and quality while supporting soil biodiversity and long-term orchard sustainability. Despite their demonstrated benefits, the adoption of biofertilizers and biostimulants in almond orchards remains limited. This review discusses the current challenges, knowledge gaps, and future perspectives for integrating microbial-based solutions into sustainable Rosaceae cultivation systems.
Z. Bouabidi, A. Saber, Najat Manaut et al.· Sustainability· 0 citations
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), including hydroponics, vertical farming (VF), and soilless cultivation, is expanding rapidly as food production shifts toward resource-efficient and climate-resilient systems. However, conventional substrates such as rockwool, peat, coco coir, and perlite present limitations related to nutrient buffering, structural stability, and environmental sustainability. Biochar has emerged as a promising alternative substrate component due to its porous structure, surface functionality, and ability to modify root-zone conditions. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the role of biochar in controlled cultivation systems, focusing on its physicochemical properties, substrate interactions, and plant physiological responses. Biochar incorporation influences water retention, aeration, nutrient availability, and microbial activity within confined root environments, thereby improving root architecture, photosynthetic performance, crop quality, and plant uniformity. Applications across hydroponic, VF, and soilless cultivation systems demonstrate improved moisture regulation, nutrient buffering, and substrate stability. Biochar interactions with conventional media such as coco peat, perlite, and peat moss further highlight its role in engineered growing substrates. Despite these advantages, challenges remain, including feedstock variability, pH and electrical conductivity effects, lack of standardized specifications, and limited long-term performance data in recirculating systems. Emerging research areas such as engineered biochar, nano-biochar, microbial integration, and precision cultivation technologies offer opportunities to optimize biochar performance in controlled environments. Overall, biochar represents a versatile and sustainable substrate component for CEA, with potential to enhance crop productivity, substrate durability, and resource efficiency. Future research should focus on material standardization, system-specific optimization, and large-scale validation to support commercial adoption.
Nora Baldoni, S. Cocco, Giuseppe Corti et al.· Agronomy· 0 citations
Soil pollution from urbanization, agriculture, and industry, compounded by climate change, poses severe threats to soil health and food security. Traditional physical, chemical, and biological remediation approaches are often resource-intensive and risk secondary contamination. This narrative review critically synthesizes mechanistic insights into nanobubble (NB) technology, its interactions with soil microbial communities, and their applications in enhancing bioremediation of contaminated and saline soils. NBs (<1 µm improve the gas transfer, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), and facilitate interfacial interactions that promote microbial growth, metabolic activity, and community resilience. They enhance carbon dioxide fixation, soil porosity, nutrient availability (especially phosphorus), and contaminant bioavailability. When combined with microbial agents or phytoremediation, NBs have achieved up to 26% salinity reduction and 44% yield increases in cotton production under saline conditions. However, most evidence comes from lab/greenhouse studies; field-scale validation, energy costs, potential ROS toxicity at high doses, and long-term ecological impacts remain undetermined key uncertainties. NB technology shows significant promise for precision agriculture and environmentally sustainable soil restoration by optimizing rhizosphere microbiomes and nutrient cycling, although future interdisciplinary research and techno-economic analyses are warranted for large-scale implementation.
Seyhmus Tumur, Aziz Eftekhari, Yashar Omarov et al.· Integrated Environmental Ass...· 0 citations
The development of sustainable high-yield farming practices is crucial to support a growing human population while providing long-term solutions for the environmental impact of intensified agriculture. Nutrient-rich bio-residuals generated through the industrial production of insects hold a high but underexplored potential as an alternative to less sustainable fertilizers. In a two-year field experiment, we show that mustard plants grown in insect-exuviae-amended soil perform as well or even better than plants grown in soil amended with reference organic fertilizers. Improved plant performance was driven by increased plant growth in terms of height and width, a larger number of flowers produced, more interactions with pollinators, and a larger seed production compared to untreated plants. A parallel greenhouse experiment revealed that native root-associated microbial communities in exuviae-amended soil were more species-rich, less variable, and were characterized by several well-known plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria compared to those found in unamended soil or soil treated with reference fertilizer. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that valorizing insect-based bio-residuals can improve agricultural sustainability while simultaneously supporting a circular economy.
Katherine Y. Barragán Fonseca, D. Mertens, Pedro Beschoren da Costa et al.· npj Sustainable Agriculture· 0 citations
