Microbial alchemists: unveiling the hidden potentials of halophilic organisms for soil restoration.

Salinity, resulting from various contaminants, is a major concern to global crop cultivation. Soil salinity results in increased osmotic stress, oxidative stress, specific ion toxicity, nutrient deficiency in plants, groundwater contamination, and negative impacts on biogeochemical cycles. Leaching, the prevailing remediation method, is expensive, energy-intensive, demands more fresh water, and also causes nutrient loss which leads to infertile cropland and eutrophication of water bodies. Moreover, in soils co-contaminated with persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and textile dyes, leaching techniques may not be effective. It promotes the adoption of microbial remediation as an effective and eco-friendly method. Common microbes such as Pseudomonas, Trichoderma, and Bacillus often struggle to survive in high-saline conditions due to osmotic stress, ion imbalance, and protein denaturation. Halophiles, capable of withstanding high-saline conditions, exhibit a remarkable ability to utilize a broad spectrum of organic pollutants as carbon sources and restore the polluted environment. Furthermore, halophiles can enhance plant growth under stress conditions and produce vital bio-enzymes. Halophilic microorganisms can contribute to increasing soil microbial diversity, pollutant degradation, stabilizing soil structure, participating in nutrient dynamics, bio-geochemical cycles, enhancing soil fertility, and crop growth. This review provides an in-depth analysis of pollutant degradation, salt-tolerating mechanisms, and plant-soil-microbe interaction and offers a holistic perspective on their potential for soil restoration.

Innovations in textile wastewater management: a review of zero liquid discharge technology.

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) technology emerges as a transformative solution for sustainable wastewater management in the textile industry, emphasizing water recycling and discharge minimization. This review comprehensively explores ZLD's pivotal role in reshaping wastewater management practices within the textile sector. With a primary focus on water recycling and minimized discharge, the review thoroughly examines the economic and environmental dimensions of ZLD. Additionally, it includes a comparative cost analysis against conventional wastewater treatment methods and offers a comprehensive outlook on the global ZLD market. Presently valued at US $0.71 billion, the market is anticipated to reach US $1.76 billion by 2026, reflecting a robust annual growth rate of 12.6%. Despite ZLD's efficiency in wastewater recovery, environmental challenges, such as heightened greenhouse gas emissions, increased carbon footprint, elevated energy consumption, and chemical usage, are discussed. Methodologies employed in this review involve an extensive analysis of existing literature, empirical data, and case studies on ZLD implementation in the textile industry worldwide. While acknowledging existing adoption barriers, the review underscores ZLD's potential to guide the textile industry toward a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future.

Mitigation of nitrous oxide emission through fertigation and 'N' inhibitors - A sustainable climatic crop cultivation in tomato.

The impact of nitrous oxide (N2O) released from the fertilized agro-ecosystems are of increasing concern. Governing fertilizer requirements and utilizing nitrification inhibitors (NI) are effective methodologies to increase nitrogen retention and reduce N2O emissions from soil. Therefore, the effect of potassium thiosulfate (KTS) and neem-coated urea (NCU) on N2O efflux under irrigated tomato cultivation was assessed. Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) based recommendation of NPK with normal Urea and KTS at 1% of applied N (183:160:125 kg ha-1) (STCR-U + KTS) recorded the least N2O emission and high efficiency in suppressing the nitrate reductase activity. STCR-NCU was on par with STCR-U + KTS, reporting a higher reduction of N2O (21.1, 31.2, and 34.4% during the basal application, 1st and 2nd top dressing, respectively) compared to the blanket recommendation of nutrients. Similarly, STCR-U + KTS recorded the highest reduction (26.2, 25.6, and 30.9% during the basal application, 1st and 2nd top dressing, respectively) after fertilizer application. Besides, the yield of tomatoes is increased in the STCR-NCU (14.08%) and STCR-U + KTS (12.48%) with good quality fruit along (AA, Lycopene, and TSS contents) with low N2O emissions. The DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model further revealed that the simulated data and assessed findings were in good accord, proving the model's reliability and use as a tool for predicting the efficiency of fertilizer application.

Phytolith-Occluded Carbon Sequestration Potential of Oil Palm Plantation in Tamil Nadu.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) has proven to be a phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC)-rich species that plays a vital role in acting as a carbon sink for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration. The present research estimated the silicon, phytolith, and PhytOC contents in four (OP4), eight (OP8), and fifteen (OP15)-year-old oil palm plantations. Qualitative analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed the presence of abundant globular echinate phytoliths with varied diameter (8.484-10.18 µm) in fronds, empty fruit bunches, and roots. Furthermore, a wide band (400-490 cm-1) underlined a higher relative abundance of Si-OH groups in empty fruit bunches, fronds, and roots, which emphasized the amorphous nature of silica. Quantitative analysis revealed that the phytolith (phytolith/dry biomass), PhytOC (PhytOC/phytolith), and PhytOC (PhytOC/dry biomass) contents in all oil palms differed significantly (p < 0.05) and increased with age. The PhytOC stock showed significant variation, with the trend of OP15 > OP8 > OP4. The belowground biomass of OP4 (16.43 g kg-1) and OP8 (17.13 g kg-1) had a maximum PhytOC concentration compared to the aboveground biomass, and the belowground proportion varied from 20.62 to 20.65%. The study demonstrated a positive correlation between the phytolith and PhytOC contents of oil palm; thereby, oil palm should be cultivated for enhanced long-term sequestration as a phytolith accumulator.

Mitigation of methane gas emissions in flooded paddy soil through the utilization of methanotrophs.

The utilization of methanotrophs for reducing the global warming potential in a flooded paddy system is the progressive investigation in the recent. The field investigation was conducted in Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai. This study showed the effect of isolated methanotroph strain (MR15) on the reduction of methane emission and improvement in growth parameters and yield of paddy. The treatments included the diverse dosages of methanotroph consortium (0, 25, 50, 75 & 100%). The total seasonal methane emission varied between 1.96 and 5.04 kg ha-1 for the season of Kharif and 2.18 to 5.81 kg ha-1 for the season of Rabi owing to the footprint of methanotroph. Irrespective of treatments, the mean seasonal emission was more prominent during Rabi compared to the Kharif season. The dosage of methanotroph consortium significantly influenced not only seasonal methane emission but also the grain yield percentage, which increased over 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF). Application of 100% methanotroph consortium (i.e.6.25 kg ha-1) minimizes the methane emission by 60% with an increase in grain yield by 35% and lessens the usage of additional nutrients. Overall, this study showed a sign of atmospheric methane uptake with increase growth potential and yield of paddy cultivation using methanotroph consortium.