Can heavy metal accumulation in crops be mitigated by microbial inoculants? A meta-analysis and machine learning

"Hidden hunger" and heavy metal contamination in agricultural products pose critical challenges to agricultural security, with microbial inoculants offering a potential pathway for synergistic mitigation. This study conducted a systematic meta-analysis from 442 studies, exploring the regulation and mechanisms of microbial inoculants on crop essential and toxic heavy metal contents. Results indicate that microbial inoculants significantly enhance crop growth, increasing essential heavy metals accumulations including Cu, Fe, Mo, and Zn by 10-20%, while reducing the toxic metals contents like Cd and Pb by 20%. These processes are influenced by inoculant type, crop species, and soil conditions. The reduction of toxic metals is attributed to microbial diversity-mediated synergistic regulation. Machine learning results indicated that soil pH, total nitrogen, and organic matter were key factors influencing the essential heavy metals accumulation after inoculation. Organic matter, available phosphorus, and pH were key factors influencing the toxic heavy metals accumulation. Under toxic metal stress, inoculation could alter photosynthetic pigment dynamics and stabilize photosynthesis. Exogenous essential metals inhibited microbial enhancement of soil microbial diversity and saturated plant uptake, yielding no synergistic benefits when combined. Microorganisms only achieve decoupling of Fe, Mn, Mo, and toxic heavy metals. Since Cu, Ni, and Zn exist as ions or in weakly chelated forms, they remain at risk of co-transportation. This study provides an unbiased assessment of feasibility and limitations of microbial inoculants in improving food nutritional quality, alleviating "hidden hunger," and ensuring agricultural product safety.