The addition of soil amendments and plants in heavy metal-contaminated soil can result in a significant impact

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the stated challenges and future work and future-work section and abstract and stated research gap of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2024 and 2026, spanning 5 journals. Those papers have been cited 89 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 5 representative gaps

• Induced Phytoextraction of Heavy Metals from Soils Using Brassica juncea and EDTA: An Efficient Approach to the Remedy of Zinc, Copper and Lead (2026) · Environments · cited 5× · doi

  The persistence and toxicity of heavy metals in natural systems. The gradual accumulation of heavy metals in soils and their migration into plants, water, and the food chain. The need for a method that balances extractive efficiency with plant health.

  generalstated challenges
  Keywords: persistence toxicity heavy metals natural systems gradual accumulation
• Research Progress on the Physiological Mechanism by Which Selenium Alleviates Heavy Metal Stress in Plants: A Review (2024) · Agronomy · cited 65× · doi

  The toxicity of heavy metals to plants and the mechanisms by which plants detoxify heavy metals are currently important areas of research. Heavy metals disrupt normal cellular metabolism and cause damage to plant structures, thus affecting plant growth and development. Considering the variations in plant metabolism and the toxicity of heavy metals, the adsorption, adaptation, and detoxification mechanisms of plants to heavy metals Agronomy 2024, 14, 1787 14 of 19 are complex and require further investigation. This review presented an overview of the physiological mechanisms through which heavy metals impact plant growth. Additionally, this study highlighted the significant benefits of Se in enhancing plants’ resistance to heavy metal stress. Se assists in improving plant antioxidant systems, repairing damaged cell structures and functions, and promoting the formation of Se–heavy metal complexes and metallothionein. Moreover, Se influences the absorption and translocation of heavy metal ions in plants, effectively mitigating the damage caused by heavy metal stress. Nevertheless, there are still research gaps to be addressed regarding the role of Se in plant resistance to heavy metal stress. This study investigated the mechanisms of Se’s interaction with various heavy metals, focusing on how Se forms complexes with specific heavy metal ions and enhances plant tolerance by regulating gene expression. Molecular genetic approaches were employed to uncover the genetic regulatory mechanisms of Se in plant resistance to heavy metal stress, elucidating the relationships among Se, genes related to heavy metal resistance, and their regulatory networks. Furthermore, the agricultural application potential of Se was explored to assess its impact on crop yield and quality, as well as its practical effectiveness in remediating heavy-metal-contaminated soils. These in-depth investigations not only advance our understanding of mechanisms of Se in alleviating heavy metal stress in plants but also provide scientific foundations for developing novel Se remediation agents and strategies to enhance crops’ heavy metal tolerance. These efforts aim to offer innovative solutions for addressing heavy metal pollution in modern agriculture and environmental conservation, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural development and improving environmental quality. Author Contributions: Project administration and writing—review and editing, X.L.; writing— original draft preparation, Z.Y. and S.C. (Shiqi Cai); investigation, C.Y.; conceptualization, S.R.; supervision, S.C. (Shuiyuan Cheng) and F.X. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This work was supported by the college students’ innovative entrepreneurial training (No. 202310496024), the Doctoral Research Funding Project of Wuhan Polytechnic University (No. 2023RZ014), the Dawning Plan Project of the Knowledge Innovation Special Project of Wuhan City (No. 2023020201020456), and the Key Research and Development Program of Hubei Province, China (No. 2023BBB065). Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable. Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable. Data Availability Statement: Not applicable. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: heavy metal plant metals plants mechanisms stress resistance project development review statement applicable toxicity metabolism
• Phytochemical screening and multi-analytical characterization of Cannabis sativa, cultivated in Mt Kenya region, Kenya (2026) · Plant Biosystems · cited 1× · doi

  Further research is needed to investigate the effects of heavy metal contamination on human health. Further research is needed to develop strategies for soil remediation and heavy metal removal. Further research is needed to explore the potential bioactive compounds in C. sativa leaves and their applications.

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: further research needed investigate effects heavy metal contamination
• Phytostabilization of Heavy Metals and Fungal Community Response in Manganese Slag under the Mediation of Soil Amendments and Plants (2024) · Toxics · cited 18× · doi

  The addition of soil amendments and plants in heavy metal-contaminated soil can result in a significant impact on physicochemical properties, microbial communities and heavy metal distribution, but the specific mechanisms remain to be explored.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: soil heavy metal addition amendments plants contaminated result significant impact physicochemical properties microbial communities distribution
• Boron and Selenium Combine to Alleviate Cadmium Stress and Improve Quality and Yield of Cherry Tomatoes (2026) · Journal of Plant Growth Regulation · doi

  The paper identifies a gap in the current understanding of how to alleviate cadmium stress in cherry tomatoes. Previous studies have shown that selenium can reduce the bioavailability of soil heavy metals, but the effect of boron and selenium on cadmium stress in cherry tomatoes is not well understood.

  generalstated research gapevidence 4/5
  Keywords: paper identifies gap current understanding alleviate cadmium stress

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