Cultivation of nickel hyperaccumulators for metal extraction in their natural growth environment: a four-year field application

Abstract

As the climate crisis drives the green transition and increases industrial demand for Ni, agromining aims to develop systems for better management of Ni-rich soils, offering a novel approach to agriculture. In this 4-year study, the cultivation of three Ni hyperaccumulating plants, Bornmuellera tymphaea, B. emarginata, and Odontarrhena chalcidica, in their natural environment was investigated. Biomass production of O. chalcidica was notably high (13.5 t ha−1), while the two Bornmuellera species surpassed previous records (B. tymphaea: 11 t ha−1, B. emarginata: 9 t ha−1). Maximum Ni yields were the following: O. chalcidica 106.3 kg ha−1, B. emarginata 150.8 kg ha−1, and B. tymphaea 148.7 kg ha−1 showing the efficiency of all three studied species for Ni agromining in their natural habitat. This study shows all three species are equally effective for Ni agromining in their natural habitat.