Speaker
Description
Effluents generated by the dairy sector constitute a nutrient-rich matrix with a
significant environmental impact. Conventional treatments are generally energy-intensive and
based on biological oxidation, leading to nutrient dissipation and secondary waste products.
Phytoremediation emerge as sustainable strategy for nutrient recovery and biomass
production within a circular economy framework. Duckweeds are particularly attractive for
these applications, and their nutritional properties open perspectives as feed supplements.
Their remarkable biodiversity, characterized by extensive genetic variability, polyploidization
and hybridization, translates into adaptability to heterogeneous aquatic environments. Such
diversity likely corresponds to a wide spectrum of functional traits suitable to phytoremediation
systems. This work explores the diversity of autochthonous (EU) duckweed clonal accessions
sourced from the IBBA collection, representative of multiple taxonomic levels, including
species from different genera, genotypes within the same species, allopolyploids and their
parental species. Tested accessions were evaluated for their growth performance on dairy
wastewater. Microbial community dynamics were also investigated in order to explore the
contribution of cooperative plant–microbe interactions.
Specific harsh growth conditions favoured certain species and clones over others, revealing
large inter- and intraspecific variability. Two accessions emerged as the best-performing:
Lemna minor (#5500) and its natural allotriploid Lemna × mediterranea (#LER0021). Further
characterization of their physiological and biochemical traits, e.g. pigment and protein content,
oxidative stress markers as well as nutrient depletion efficiency, revealed two distinctive eco-
physiological strategies.
Keywords
Phytoremediation, Biodiversity, Dairy-wastewater, Duckweed
References
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| Corresponding author email | cristian.perna@cnr.it |
|---|---|
| Scientific Session | Ecology & Diversity |
