Rhizosphere Biology: A Key to Agricultural Sustainability

Abstract

The interactions of plant–microbe enable various types of transformations in the rhizosphere, which might be harmful, neutral, or beneficial. These interactions are proved helpful to plants for enhancing the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil by facilitating the nutrients balance of the soil. Mutualistic plant–microbe interaction in the rhizosphere can enhance the nutrient uptake from roots, improve the biomass productivity and potentially, the ability to tolerate environmental stress. The microbial communities present in the rhizosphere influences the development of phytopathogens, the fitness of the ecological plants, and resistance of heavy metals and acquisition of nutrients. For improving the yields, varieties, and sustainability of the crops, the plant–microbe interaction is now getting considered as a valuable asset. Bioprospecting, the rhizospheric microorganisms with the ability to confer tolerance towards stress to host plant and using their symbiotic interaction with plants to improve the overall plant growth and crop productivity, could significantly aid in decreasing the adverse effects of stress on plants. The emerging field of engineering of ecosystems and rhizosphere marks a promising opportunity to fill critical research gaps and to develop sustainable solutions. Exploration of plant–microbe interactions is the key to understand the mechanism of rhizosphere priming, management of the carbon cycle in soil, and improve the crop productivity under current and future climatic conditions.