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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Soil, Water & Air Resources Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #428498
Research Project: Improved Management of Nutrients, Water, Agrochemicals, and Energy to Enhance Agriculture System Sustainability

Location: Soil, Water & Air Resources Research

Title: Rhizosphere ecology: An agroecological frontier

Author
item Emmett, Bryan
item VOLK, CLIARE - Cornell University
item DRINKWATER, LAURIE - Cornell University

Submitted to: Book / Chapter / eBook
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2026
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The rhizosphere, the zone where plant roots interact with the soil matrix and its biota, is a hot-spot of plant-microbe interactions impacting plant productivity and agroecosystem functions. This environment is shaped by the soil matrix and the activity of the plant root, which drives the physiochemical gradients characterizing the rhizosphere. In this chapter, we highlight the importance of rhizosphere processes in driving the turnover and stabilization of soil organic carbon and nitrogen, the development of soil structure, and plant and microbial access to mineral nutrient reserves. Since the rhizosphere is shaped by both the plant and the soil environment, it is susceptible to management interventions that target this environment as well as plant genetics. Both approaches, adapting management and breeding and selecting plants that can recruit and support beneficial rhizosphere microbiome, will be necessary to fully harness the rhizosphere in support of sustainable agroecosystems.