Description

For sustainable environmental management as a whole, the roles of phytoremediation and biofortification as two sides of the same coin must be highlighted. Phytoremediation is a process in which biological organisms are used to eliminate or nullify an environmental pollutant by a metabolic course of action. Biofortification, in contrast, is an agrarian process that enhances the micronutrient content of a food crop through plant breeding, genetic modification, use of enriched fertilizers, or management of agricultural practices. These two strategies, although targeting different objectives, both work on the same principle of the bio-extraction process that involves uptake, accretion, removal, and modification of micro- and macro-nutrient elements from the soil. This volume offers a comprehensive overview of phytoremediation and biofortification of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Cd, etc., and illustrates the emerging and innovative combination of these technologies.