Natural and anthropogenic activities have contaminated the soil with various metals, and in certain areas, this contamination has reached levels dangerous for living organisms [4].
Numerous plant species within the genera Alyssum, Thlaspi, and Berkheya are identified as metal hyperaccumulators, since they can retain metal concentrations (90 mg Pb/kg soil) 1–3 orders of magnitude greater than non-hyperaccumulators [5].
The major disadvantage of using hyperaccumulators as part of a phytoremediation strategy is their slow growth rate and the low harvest of above-ground biomass.
Canola, however, grows faster than other hyperaccumulators and can potentially be harvested several times within a growing season