Role of rhizosphere microflora in environment microbiology?

Answer 1

The term "Rhizosphere" was introduced in 1904 by the German scientist L. Hiltner to denote the region of soil, which is under the influence of plant roots.

Rhizosphere is defined as the region of the soil immediately surrounding the roots of a plant together with the root surfaces.

Plant roots receive between 30-60% of the net photosynthesized carbon. Of this, an estimated 40-90% enters the soil as a wide variety of materials including alcohols, ethylene, sugars, amino acids and organic acids, vitamins, nucleotides, polysaccharides, and enzymes. These materials create a unique environment for soil microorganisms, called the rhizosphere. The plant root surface, termed rhizoplane, also provides a unique environment for microorganisms, as these gaseous, soluble, and particulate materials move from the plant plant to soil.

The rhizosphere effect is beneficial to the plants in two ways, firstly it helps in providing nutrients to the plants and secondly, it helps the plants in combating root diseases;

Here, soil environment may be aerobic or anaerobic. And here Bacteria predominate rather than fungi.

Mainly soil bacteria present:

Achromobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Clostridium etc.

Fungi such as: Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Cladosporium herburum, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. solani.

Rhizosphere microorganisms are directly associate with root system, i.e, no vector is needed.

- Tathagata Bhattacharjee.

student of M.Sc -1st year,

B.R.S.N College,

West Bengal State University.