Recent advances in space exploration have brought the possibility of sustainable colonies on the Moon and Mars within reach. Space missions have already returned extraterrestrial rocks and soils to Earth, and future crewed missions will provide even greater access to off-world materials. Eventually, we may colonize plants on space. Among the tremendous diverse terrestrial species, some plants called hyperaccumulators not only survive on toxic soil but also accumulate heavy elements in their foliage, which offers a novel solution for extracting valuable elements from these extraterrestrial substrates. Phytomining is a biotechnological approach that employs hyperaccumulator plants to concentrate heavy metals and rare earth elements in their biomass and it holds particular promise for in situ resource utilization. These specialized plants absorb metals from the soil into their foliage, which can then be harvested and processed to recover the targeted elements. With modern biotechnology and genome editing tools, developing hyperaccumulators optimized to lunar or Martian soil is feasible. By cultivating hyperaccumulator species on lunar or Martian soil, it becomes possible to generate meaningful quantities of construction and industrial metals directly on site. Implementing phytomining on the Moon and Mars could reduce the need to transport raw materials from Earth, lower launch costs, and accelerate the development of local infrastructure. As we move toward establishing off-world settlements, integrating phytomining into extraterrestrial agriculture and resource-extraction strategies may prove critical for achieving long-term sustainability.

Use of sewage sludge compost and other processed sludge products for the establishment and maintenance of turfgrass is an environmentally sound and cost effective option for utilizing sewage sludge-derived products. Sewage sludge contains a considerable quantity of water and the heat produced during composting causes much of the water to evaporate. The final compost product is a relatively dry, friable material. Sludge compost can be used on turfgrass either during seed or sod establishment or to maintain previously established turfgrass. Compost may also be applied to the surface of established turfgrass in place of inorganic fertilizers. Numerous agronomic advantages are observed when turfgrass is amended with compost, the most significant of which is the addition of macro- and micronutrients to soil. Most concerns compost addition to turfgrass are the same questions related to the use of any nutrient source.

CSA NewsVolume 64, Issue 3 p. 26-27 Federal Corner My Perspectives as NIFA Director J. Scott Angle, J. Scott Angle NIFA DirectorSearch for more papers by this author J. Scott Angle, J. Scott Angle NIFA DirectorSearch for more papers by this author First published: 14 March 2019 https://doi.org/10.2134/csa2019.64.0325Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume64, Issue3March 2019Pages 26-27 RelatedInformation

The diversity of 184 isolates from rhizosphere and bulk soil samples taken from the Ni hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale, grown in a Ni-rich serpentine soil, was determined by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Restriction digestion of the 16S rRNA gene was used to identify 44 groups. Representatives of each of these groups were placed within the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. By combining the 16S rRNA gene restriction data with the gene sequence analysis it was concluded that 44.6% (82/184) of the isolates were placed within the phylum Proteobacteria, among these 35.9% (66/184) were placed within the class α-Proteobacteria, and 20.7% (38/184) had 16S rRNA gene sequences indicative of bacteria within genera that form symbioses with legumes (rhizobia). Of the remaining isolates, 44.6% (82/184) and 5.4% (10/184) were placed within the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, respectively. No placement was obtained for a small number (10/184) of the isolates. Bacteria of the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the most numerous within the rhizosphere of A. murale and represented 32.1% (59/184) and 42.9% (79/184) of all isolates, respectively. The approach of using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis in this study has enabled a comprehensive characterization of bacteria that predominate in the rhizosphere of A. murale growing in Ni-contaminated soil.

Nickel (Ni) phytoextraction using hyperaccumulator plant species to accumulate Ni from mineralized and contaminated soils rich in Ni is undergoing commercial development. Serpentinite derived soils have a very low ratio of Ca/Mg among soils due the nature of the parent rock. In crop plants, soil Ca reduces Ni uptake and phytotoxicity, so it is possible that the low Ca of serpentine soils could limit hyperaccumulator plant tolerance of serpentine soils used for commercial phytomining. In this study, we investigated the effects of varied Ca concentration in the presence of high Mg characteristic of serpentine soils on Ni uptake and tolerance by serpentine-endemic species Alyssum murale Waldst. et Kit. and A. pintodasilvae T.R. Dudley in comparison with cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capita) in a nutrient solution study. The levels of Ca and Mg used were based on serpentine and normal soils, and Ni was based on achieving over 1% Ni in Alyssum shoots in preliminary tests. Varied solution concentrations of Ni (31.6–1,000 μM for Alyssum, 1.0–10 μM for cabbage) and Ca (0.128–5 mM) were used in a factorial experimental design; 2 mM Mg was used to mimic serpentine soils. Alyssum spp. showed much greater tolerance to high Ni, high Mg, and low Ca solution concentrations than cabbage. For Alyssum spp., Ni induced phytotoxicity was only apparent at 1,000 μM Ni with relatively low and high Ca/Mg quotient. In the 1,000 μM Ni treatment, shoot Ni concentrations ranged from 8.18 to 22.8 g kg−1 for A. murale and 7.60 to 16.0 g kg−1 for A. pintodasilvae. Normal solution Ca concentrations (0.8–2 mM) gave the best yield across all Ni treatments for the Alyssum species tested. It was clear that solution Ca levels affected shoot Ni concentration, shoot yield and Ni translocation from root to shoot, but the relation was non-linear, increasing with increasing Ca up to 2 mM Ca, then declining at the highest Ca. Our results indicate that Ca addition to high Mg serpentine soils with very low Ca/Mg ratio may reduce Ni phytotoxicity and improve annual Ni phytoextraction by Alyssum hyperaccumulator species. Removal of shoot biomass in phytomining will require Ca application to maintain full yield potential.

Elemental allelopathy suggests that nickel (Ni)-rich leaves shed by hyperaccumulators inhibit the germination and growth of nearby plant species. Here, the germination of eight herbaceous species following addition of Alyssum murale biomass or Ni(NO3)2, with the same Ni level added to soil, was assessed. The distribution of Ni in soil was tested by determining Ni phytoavailability and speciation over time. Phytoavailable Ni in soil amended with biomass declined rapidly over time due to Ni binding to iron (Fe)/manganese (Mn) oxides in the soil. No significant effects on seed germination were observed. Unlike the Ni complex in Alyssum biomass, more Ni remained soluble and phytoavailable in soil amended with Ni(NO3)2, thus significantly inhibiting seed germination. High-Ni leaves shed by hyperaccumulators did not appear to create a 'toxic zone' around the plants and inhibit germination or growth of competing plants. The lack of an allelopathic effect was probably related to low Ni availability.

This paper reviews progress in phytoextraction of soil elements and illustrates the key role of hyperaccumulator plant species in useful phytoextraction technologies. Much research has focused on elements which are not practically phytoextracted (Pb); on addition of chelating agents which cause unacceptable contaminant leaching and are cost prohibitive; and on plant species which offer no useful phytoextraction capability (e.g., Brassica juncea Czern). Nickel phytoextraction by Alyssum hyperaccumulator species, which have been developed into a commercial phytomining technology, is discussed in more detail. Nickel is ultimately accumulated in vacuoles of leaf epidermal cells which prevents metal toxicity and provides defense against some insect predators and plant diseases. Constitutive up-regulation of trans-membrane element transporters appears to be the key process that allows these plants to achieve hyperaccumulation. Cadmium phytoextraction is needed for rice soils contaminated by mine wastes and smelter emissions with 100-fold more soil Zn than Cd. Although many plant species can accumulate high levels of Cd in the absence of Zn, when Cd/Zn>100, only Thlaspi caerulescens from southern France has demonstrated the ability to phytoextract useful amounts of Cd. Production of element-enriched biomass with value as ore or fertilizer or improved food (Se) or feed supplement may offset costs of phytoextraction crop production. Transgenic phytoextraction plants have been achieved for Hg, but not for other elements. Although several researchers have been attempting to clone all genes required for effective hyperaccumulation of several elements, success appears years away; such demonstrations will be needed to prove we have identified all necessary processes in hyperaccumulation.

Forty-six bacterial cultures, including one culture collection strain, thirty from the rhizosphere of Alyssum murale and fifteen from Ni-rich soil, were tested for their ability to tolerate arsenate, cadmium, chromium, zinc, mercury, lead, cobalt, copper, and nickel in their growth medium. The resistance patterns, expressed as minimum inhibitory concentrations, for all cultures to the nine different metal ions were surveyed by using the agar dilution method. A large number of the cultures were resistant to Ni (100%), Pb (100%), Zn (100%), Cu (98%), and Co (93%). However, 82, 71, 58 and 47% were sensitive to As, Hg, Cd and Cr(VI), respectively. All cultures had multiple metal-resistant, with heptametal resistance as the major pattern (28.8%). Five of the cultures (about of 11.2% of the total), specifically Arthrobacter rhombi AY509239, Clavibacter xyli AY509235, Microbacterium arabinogalactanolyticum AY509226, Rhizobium mongolense AY509209 and Variovorax paradoxus AY512828 were tolerant to nine different metals. The polymerase chain reaction in combination with DNA sequence analysis was used to investigate the genetic mechanism responsible for the metal resistance in some of these gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria that were, highly resistant to Hg, Zn, Cr and Ni. The czc, chr, ncc and mer genes that are responsible for resistance to Zn, Cr, Ni and Hg, respectively, were shown to be present in these bacteria by using PCR. In the case of, M. arabinogalactanolyticum AY509226 these genes were shown to have high homology to the czcD, chrB, nccA, and mer genes of Ralstonia metallidurans CH34. Therefore, Hg, Zn, Cr and Ni resistance genes are widely distributed in both gram-positive and gram-negative isolates obtained from A. murale rhizosphere and Ni-rich soils.

Although phosphate solubilization is a character known to be present in species of Mesorhizobium, this property has not been described before in species of Sinorhizobium. The type strains of the three species that nodulate Medicago species, Sinorhizobium meliloti, S. medicae and Rhizobium mongolense, do not solubilize phosphate from bicalcium phosphate in plate culture. We observed phosphate solubilization among isolates we obtained from nodules of Medicago sativa, Melilotus and Trigonella growing in a Spanish soil. Phenotypic and genetic analyses of these isolates led to the conclusion that they were placed within the genus Sinorhizobium with characteristics in common with S. meliloti and S. medicae. The group of strains solubilizing phosphate is distinguishable to strains from S. meliloti and S. medicae basing on LMW RNA profiles, TP-RAPD patterns and SDS-PAGE profiles.

A total of 85 chromate-resistant bacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of waterhyacinth grown in Mariout Lake, Egypt, as well as the sediment and water of this habitat. Only 4 (11%), 2 (8%), and 2 (8%) of isolates from each of the environments, respectively, were able to tolerate 200 mg Cr (VI) L-1. When these eight isolates were tested for their ability to tolerate other metals or to reduce chromate, they were shown to also be resistant to Zn, Mn, and Pb, and to display different degrees of chromate reduction (28% to 95%) under aerobic conditions. The isolates with the higher chromate reduction rates from 42% to 95%, (RAI, RA2, RA3, RA5, RA 7, and RA8) were genetically diverse according to RAPD analysis using four different primers. Bacterial isolates RA 1, RA2, RA3, RA5, and RA8 had 16 S rRNA gene sequences that were most similar to Pseudomonas diminuta, Brevundimonas diminuta, Nitrobacteria irancium, Ochrobactrum anthropi, and Bacillus cereus, respectively. Water hyacinth inoculated with RA5 and RA8 increased Mn accumulation in roots by 2.4- and 1.2-fold, respectively, compared to uninoculated controls. The highest concentrations of Cr (0.4 g kg(-1)) and Zn (0.18 g kg(-1)) were accumulated in aerial portions of water hyacinth inoculated with RA3. Plants inoculated with RAI, RA2, RA3, RA5, RA 7, and RA8 had 7-, 11-, 24-, 29-, 35-, and 21-fold, respectively, higher Cr concentrations in roots compared to the control. These bacterial isolates are potential candidates in phytoremediation for chromium removal.

Phytoextraction of soil Cd and Zn may require reduction in soil pH in order to achieve high metal uptake. Reducing the pH of high metal soil, however, could negatively affect soil ecosystem function and health. The objectives of this study were to characterize the quantitative causal relationship between pH and soil biological activities in two Zn and Cd contaminated soils and to investigate the relationship between metals and soil biological activities under low pH. Soils were adjusted to five or six different pH levels by sulfur addition, followed by salt leaching. Thlaspi caerulescens was grown for 6 months, and both the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil biological activities were tested after harvest. Reducing pH significantly lowered soil alkaline phosphatase activity, arylsulphatase activity, nitrification potential, and respiration. However, acid phosphatase activity was increased with decreasing pH. The relationship between soil biological activities and pH was well characterized by linear or quadratic regression models with R2 values ranging from 0.57 to 0.99. In general, the three enzyme activities, nitrification potential, and the ratio of alkaline phosphatase to acid phosphatase activity were very sensitive indicators of soil pH status while soil respiration was not sensitive to pH change. The rhizosphere soil had higher biological activities than non-rhizosphere soil. The negative effects observed in the non-rhizosphere soil were alleviated by the rhizosphere influence. However, rhizosphere soil after 6 months phytoextraction showed lower nitrification potential than non-rhizosphere soil, probably due to substrate limitation in our study.

For phytoextraction to be successful and viable in environmental remediation, strategies that can optimize plant uptake must be identified. Thlaspi caerulescens is an important hyperaccumulator of Cd and Zn, whether adjusting soil pH is an efficient way to enhance metal uptake by T. caerulescens must by clarified. This study used two soils differing in levels of Cd and Zn, which were adjusted to six different pH levels. Thlaspi caerulescens tissue metal concentrations and 0.1 M Sr(NO3)(2) extractable soil metal concentrations were measured. The soluble metal form of both Cd and Zn was greatly increased with decreasing pH. Lowering pH significantly influenced plant metal uptake. For the high metal soil, highest plant biomass was at the lowest soil pH (4.74). The highest shoot metal concentration was at the second lowest pH (5.27). For low metal soil, due to low pH induced Al and Mn toxicity, both plant growth and metal uptake was greatest at intermediate pH levels. The extraordinary Cd phytoextraction ability of T. caerulescens was further demonstrated in this experiment. In the optimum pH treatments, Thlaspi caerulescens extracted 40% and 36% of total Cd in the low and high metal soils, respectively, with just one planting. Overall, decreasing pH is an effective strategy to enhance phytoextraction. But different soils had various responses to acidification treatment and a different optimum pH may exist. This pH should be identified to avoid unnecessarily extreme acidification of soils.

Metal hyperaccumulator plants like Alyssum murale have a remarkable ability to hyperaccumulate Ni from soils containing mostly insoluble Ni. We have shown some rhizobacteria increase the phytoavailability of Ni in soils, thus enhancing Ni accumulation by A. murale. Nine bacterial strains, originally isolated from the rhizosphere of A. murale grown in serpentine Ni-rich soil, were examined for their ability to solubilize Ni in different soils and for their effect on Ni uptake into Alyssum. Microbacterium oxydans AY509223; Rhizobium galegae AY509213; Microbacterium oxydans AY509219; Clavibacter xyli AY509236; Acidovorax avenae AY512827; Microbacterium arabinogalactanolyticum AY509225; M. oxydans AY509222; M. arabinogalactanolyticum AY509226 and M. oxydans AY509221 were added to low, moderate and high Ni-contaminated soils. M. oxydans AY509223 significantly increased Ni extraction by 10 mM Sr(NO3)2 from the high and medium soils and had no effect on Ni extraction from the low Ni soils. The other eight bacterial isolates significantly increased Ni extraction from all soils. There were no significant effects of bacterial inoculation on fresh and dry weight of A . murale shoots grown in the low and high Ni soils compared to an unamended control. M. oxydans AY509223 significantly increased Ni uptake of A. murale grown in the low, medium, and high soils by 36.1%, 39.3%, and 27.7%, respectively, compared with uninoculated seeds. M. oxydans AY509223 increased foliar Ni from the same soils from 82.9, 261.3 and 2829.3 mg kg−1 to 129.7, 430.7, and 3914.3 mg kg−1, respectively, compared with uninoculated controls. These results show that bacteria are important for Ni hyperaccumulation and could potentially be developed as an inoculum for enhancing uptake during commercial phytoremediation or phytomining of Ni.

The symbiotic bradyrhizobia of Aeschynomene indica and the aquatic budding bacterium Blastobacter denitrificans have much in common and this study broadens the characters that are shared between the two. The 23S rRNA gene sequences of the bradyrhizobial isolates were most similar to each other and to the sequence of Bl. denitrificans. Evidence for the presence of photosynthetic genes in the genome of Bl. denitrificans was obtained by PCR using primers to the conserved M subunit (pufM) of the photosynthetic reaction center present in purple sulfur and purple nonsulfur bacteria. The deduced amino acid sequences of the partial PufM protein of Bl. denitrificans and the corresponding sequences obtained from the bradyrhizobial isolates were identical. Both the bradyrhizobial isolates and the type strain of Bl. denitrificans shared the ability to propagate by budding, demonstrated by electron microscopy. Even though many interspecific characters were shared among the bradyrhizobial isolates including Bl. denitrificans, it was evident from Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis that genomic variation existed among the collection that was examined. Variation among bradyrhizobial isolates and Bl. denitrificans also was established in carbon and nitrogen source utilization and the ability to grow at elevated temperature. Based on these results and previously reported evidence it is suggested that the type strain for Bl. denitrificans and the bradyrhizobial isolates from nodules of A. indica belong to a common group of bacteria. Therefore, it is proposed that they be combined into the genus Bradyrhizobium and that LMG 8443 be transferred to this genus as the type strain for B. denitrificans.

The Ni-hyperaccumulating plant Alyssum murale accumulates exceptionally high concentrations of nickel in its aboveground biomass. The reasons for hyperaccumulation remain unproven; however, it has been proposed that elemental alelopathy might be important. High-Ni leaves shed by the plant may create a "toxic zone" around the plant where germination or growth of competing plants is inhibited. The efficacy of this argument will partially depend upon the rate at which leaves degrade in soil and free metals are released, and the subsequent rate at which metals are bound to soil constituents. To test the degradation of biomass of hyperaccumulators, A. murale was grown on both high- and low-Ni soils to achieve high- (12.0 g Ni/kg) and low- (0.445 g Ni/kg) Ni biomass. Shredded leaf and stem biomass were added to a serpentine soil from Oregon that was originally used to grow high-Ni biomass and a low-Ni control soil from Maryland. Biomass Ni was readily soluble and extractable, suggesting near immediate release as biomass was added to soil Extractable nickel in soil amended with biomass declined rapidly over time due to Ni binding in soil These results suggest that Ni released from biomass of Ni hyperaccumulators may significantly affect their immediate niche only for short periods of time soon after leaf fall, but repeated application may create high Ni levels under and around hyperaccumulators.

The Ni-hyperaccumulating plant Alyssum murale accumulates exceptionally high concentrations of nickel in its aboveground biomass. The reasons for hyperaccumulation remain unproven; however, it has been proposed that elemental allelopathy might be important. High-Ni leaves shed by the plant may create a “toxic zone” around the plant where germination or growth of competing plants is inhibited. The efficacy of this argument will partially depend upon the rate at which leaves degrade in soil and free metals are released, and the subsequent rate at which metals are bound to soil constituents. To test the degradation of biomass of hyperaccumulators, A. murale was grown on both high- and low-Ni soils to achieve high- (12.0 g Ni/kg) and low- (0.445 g Ni/kg) Ni biomass. Shredded leaf and stem biomass were added to a serpentine soil from Oregon that was originally used to grow high-Ni biomass and a low-Ni control soil from Maryland. Biomass Ni was readily soluble and extractable, suggesting near immediate release as biomass was added to soil. Extractable nickel in soil amended with biomass declined rapidly over time due to Ni binding in soil. These results suggest that Ni released from biomass of Ni hyperaccumulators may significantly affect their immediate niche only for short periods of time soon after leaf fall, but repeated application may create high Ni levels under and around hyperaccumulators.