Rhizospheric microbe-plant exudate formulation for enhanced restoration of contaminated agricultural soil

Abstract

Industrial and human activities add a lot of chemicals to the soil environment. In the oil-producing areas like Nigeria, hydrocarbon contamination has been the major problem. The hydrocarbon contaminants upset the soil ecological balance, including important microbial processes. In the rhizosphere, microbial interactions occur in a dynamic manner, resulting in the production of microbial products of ecological importance. The plant associates exude compounds that benefit the microorganisms. The overall interactions of the plant-microbe products contribute greatly to the reclamation of the contaminated soil. Thus, current emphasis should be placed on the formulation of products that can be effective in soil bioremediation. The rhizospheric microbes and plant exudates should be extensively studied. Microbe-plant exudate formulations have comparative advantages over chemicals applied for reclamation of contaminated soil. Soil formulations are ecologically friendly and cost-effective. This chapter deals with microbial activities and plant exudation in the rhizosphere which help contaminated soil to recover. The prospects of microbe-plant exudate formulation are highlighted.