Use Of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria And Humic Acids For Phytostabilization of Acid-Generating Mining Wastes

Abstract

Generation of acidic mine drainage is a major environmental problem in areas with mining waste. The cost-effective method for reclaiming of acid-generating mining wastes is a vegetation cover. Using plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) and humic acid in remediation have several beneficial effects. The application of both humic substances and PGPR resulted in a decrease in Cu, Fe, Zn and sulfate concentrations in a variety of drainage water samples. Both PGPR and humic acid improve plant growth when used separately, however, the combination of both treatments has the most positive effect on fresh biomass yield – between 22% and 43 % and dry biomass of plants – between 31% and 41 %. Furthermore, addition of Bacillus and Pseudomonas bacteria, in combination with humic acids, to poor soil for reclamation improved grass mineral nutrition and reduced Cu and Zn uptake. The treatment with PGPR and humic acids significantly increased the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by plants.