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

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, <i>Bornmuellera tymphaea</i>, <i>B. emarginata</i>, and <i>Odontarrhena chalcidica</i>, in their natural environment was investigated. Biomass production of <i>O. chalcidica</i> was notably high (13.5 t ha^-1), while the two <i>Bornmuellera</i> species surpassed previous records (<i>B. tymphaea</i>: 11 t ha^-1, <i>B. emarginata</i>: 9 t ha^-1). Maximum Ni yields were the following: <i>O. chalcidica</i> 106.3 kg ha^-1, <i>B. emarginata</i> 150.8 kg ha^-1, and <i>B. tymphaea</i> 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.