<![CDATA[Indonesia produces approximately 13 million metric tons of nickel slag each year, which has the potential to be used as a soil amendment for post-mining land restoration. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of nickel slag as a propagation medium for four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus species (AMF) (Acaulospora tuberculata, Glomus manihotis, Glomus etunicatum, and Gigaspora margarita) associated with three pioneer host plants (Sorghum bicolor, Falcataria moluccana, and Pueraria javanica) to support post-nickel-mining land reclamation. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a two-factor completely randomized design over 12 weeks. The results showed that plant survival rates ranged from 79.08% to 83.17% across all treatments. Glomus manihotis performed best, with the highest root colonization rate of 75.91% and a spore density of 89 spores per 20 g of medium. The highest biomass accumulation was observed in Sorghum bicolor, with a shoot dry weight of 3.38 g and a root dry weight of 1.04 g. The results correlated with field data, which showed that mycorrhizal inoculation increased nickel accumulation in plants by 8.33% and safely immobilized up to 9,500 mg kg?ยน of nickel within root tissues. This study concluded that nickel slag has great potential as a carrier medium for producing AMF inoculum. The use of nickel slag supports the principles of a circular economy in the nickel industry, accelerating ecosystem restoration on former mining sites.]]>
Copyrights © 2026
