Strategies for alleviating aluminum toxicity in soils and plants

Aluminum (Al) toxicity poses a significant environmental stress factor, adversely affecting seed germination, crop establishment, quality, and production, primarily due to global soil acidification. Various methods have been explored to mitigate Al toxicity, either by excluding Al ions (Al³+) or accumulating them internally in plants. However, some methods have proven impractical due to their ineffectiveness and associated environmental hazards. Examining discoveries about these pathways is critical for capturing the state-of-the-art of the Al³+ response in plants, highlighting major findings, identifying research gaps, and posing new questions. 

In this review, we discuss the past and current knowledge about the relationship between subcellular Al distribution and differential cell ultrastructure. We also explore environmentally friendly approaches that can effectively alleviate Al toxicity in both soil and plants. Beneficial effects of microorganisms on plants exposed to Al³+ stress are discussed, as well as bioaugmentation approaches, involving the addition of microbial cultures or genetically engineered organisms to accelerate the rate of Al contaminant breakdown in the soil.

Our coverage highlights upcoming studies that concentrate on exploring inter- and intraspecies variations in plant responses to Al stress. To enhance our understanding and pave the way for new molecular breeding targets to improve plant performance under Al stress, staying abreast of current and future insights into how plants adapt to Al stress is imperative.