Microbial communities of the rhizosphere, and their possible agronomic application.

A.R. LODEIRO

Tucumán

Congreso; XII Congreso Argentino de Microbiología General; 2017

Sociedad Argentina de Microbiología General

Rhizosphere is the soil portion in intimate contact with the plant roots. Here, the microbial biomass and diversity often are higher than in the bulk soil, due to the influence of plant root exudates. Thus, special plant-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions take place in the rhizosphere, with measurable impacts on plant health and productivity.Food security demands the provision of food in a sustainable manner to an increasing population, while the possibilities of expanding the frontier of cropping land area are decreasing. Therefore, sustainability cannot be accomplished by increasing the use of agrochemicals like pesticides and fertilizers. Among the technologies available for sustainable agriculture is the inoculation of plant growth-promoting microbes on diverse crop plants. These microbes include mycorrhizal fungi, N2-fixing bacteria, pathogen antagonists, P-solubilizers, Fe-chelators, etc., all of which are common inhabitants of different rhizospheres.However, the outcomes of inoculation with single species of these microorganisms are often disappointing, due to the competence exerted by the local microbiota against the inoculant. Recently, two alternatives begun to be explored: on the one hand, the inoculation with consortia, and on the other hand, the engineering and management of the rhizospheric microbiome. These approaches have promising potential on soil conservation and plant production.