o:10002 Rhizobial inoculation for potentially toxic elements phytostabilization by alfalfa plants en Abstract: Alfalfa is one of the most valuable forage crops. Due to its deep root system, tolerance to potentially toxic elements (PTE) and beneficial effects on the soil quality, it is considered as candidate in phytoremediation processes. Inoculation with beneficial bacteria is one of the strategies for enhancing growth and stress resistance of plants in contaminated soils. In this study, the effects of inoculation with different rhizobial strains on the uptake and translocation of PTE in alfalfa grown in the soil containing elevated concentrations of nickel (195 mg/kg), lead (130 mg/kg) and chromium (127.8 mg/kg) were evaluated. Pot experiment was conducted during two years and thirteen different rhizobial strains and two uninoculated controls (unfertilized or fertilized with mineral N) were tested. In both years of the experiment, the content of accumulated Ni, Pb and Cr was several times higher in the roots compared to the shoots of all treatments. Rhizobial treatments affected the contents of Ni, Cr and Pb mainly in the roots, while to the lower extent in the shoots. In the first year, some inoculants decreased while others increased Cr, Ni and Pb contents in the alfalfa roots. In the second year, inoculation mostly decreased Cr content in the alfalfa roots, while Ni and Pb content were either decreased (218, G-nov, 217, 252, L3Si, L4 and 4148s), or increased by inoculation (224, 4193cs, GPD2, Melxx and 10-2BM). In conclusion, some of the rhizobial strains showed potential for use in phytostabilization of Ni, Cr and Pb with alfalfa plants. 2026-07-15T10:45:12.734Z 44 no 46 Mila Pešić Institute of Soil Science 0000-0001-7589-9100 46 Vesna Mrvić Institute of Soil Science 0000-0002-6666-0875 46 Biljana Sikirić Institute of Soil Science 0000-0002-8308-4582 46 Snezana Andjelković 46 Mira Milinković Institute of Soil Science 0000-0001-5175-6842 46 Uroš Buzurović Institute of Soil Science 0009-0000-7702-659X 46 Olivera Stajković-Srbinović Institute of Soil Science 0000-0001-9759-843X application/pdf 293096 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:10002 no yes 1 70 92000004 71A05 Book of Abstracts: European Congress on Biotechnology, 28 June – 1 July 2026 Antwerp, Belgium 2026