Ecofriendly Approaches for Ameliorating the Adverse Effects of Cadmium in Plants by Regulating Physiological and Defense Responses: An Overview

Mitigating cadmium stress in agricultural plants becomes extremely critical in order to assure food sufficiency in the scenario of a rapidly growing population. An extensive review of environmentally friendly methods for reducing cadmium toxicity in plants is provided in this chapter, with special attention to a variety of tactics like phytohormones, polyamines, melatonin, mineral ions, nanoparticles, and transgenic techniques. Nanoparticles are capable of changing the distribution of cadmium, activating antioxidant defense mechanisms, and boosting physiological processes that are crucial for plant resilience and growth. Microorganisms greatly increase plant resistance to cadmium stress by modifying phytohormones and regulating defense-related proteins. Phytohormones can increase a plant’s adaptability to cadmium stress through a number of mechanisms, such as the regulation of gene expression and physiological processes. Melatonin and polyamines provide protection against oxidative stress and heavy metal toxicity, while mineral ions such as silicon, calcium, zinc, iron, and selenium increase plant resistance to cadmium, minimizing pollution-related harm. Transgenic plants that are tolerant to cadmium exhibit enhanced detoxification processes and reduced metal accumulation. These findings provide important insights for long-term plant cadmium mitigation and highlight the significance of interdisciplinary approaches in managing heavy metal stress in agricultural systems.