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Vicia: a green bridge to clean up polluted environments

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Abstract

Vicia species, commonly known as vetches, include legume plants which nowadays can be found in many countries around the world. Their use to improve soil health and productivity is crucial in management schemes that make sustainable agriculture possible, but they can also play a part in the phytoremediation of polluted environments. Furthermore, they harbor a large community of rhizospheric microorganisms, such as biodegradative bacteria and plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria, which can help to increase phytoremediation efficiency. Their mutualistic association with Rhizobium sp. has also been proposed as an attractive bioremediation tool. Thus, Vicia species could make a remarkable difference in the ecological restoration of polluted soils, thanks to their dual role as cover crops and phytoremediator plants. This mini-review discusses recent advances in the use of Vicia. Challenges and opportunities connect with the application of these species will also be revised, as well as aspects that remain to be explored.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Florencia Sgarlatta for the revision of English language in the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by the grants from Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica- Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto (SECyT-UNRC) (PPI 2016–2018), Fondo Nacional para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (FONCYT) (PICT 447/15), and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (PIP). SGI and EA are members of the Research Career from CONICET (Argentina).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Molecular, FCEFQyN, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta Nacional 36 Km 601, 5800, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Sabrina Ibañez, María I. Medina & Elizabeth Agostini

  2. CONICET, Instituto de Biotecnología Ambiental y Salud (INBIAS), UNRC, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Sabrina Ibañez, María I. Medina & Elizabeth Agostini

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  1. Sabrina Ibañez
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  2. María I. Medina
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  3. Elizabeth Agostini
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EA and SGI had the idea for the article and performed the literature search and data analysis. SGI wrote the manuscript. MIM and EA critically revised and correct the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Elizabeth Agostini.

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Ibañez, S., Medina, M.I. & Agostini, E. Vicia: a green bridge to clean up polluted environments. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 104, 13–21 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-019-10222-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-019-10222-5

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