Rhizosphere Engineering for Sustainable Agriculture
摘要
The rhizosphere, a nutrient-rich zone near plant roots, serves as an active interface for interactions between plants and microbes. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are a specialized group of microbes that enhance plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stressors, thereby increasing growth and productivity. PGPR are capable of solubilizing and facilitating essential nutrients, secreting phytohormones, and producing signaling compounds that attract other beneficial microorganisms. Under stress, these microorganisms can modulate stress enzyme levels, suppress the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, and chelate toxic metal ions through the active secretion of chelating agents. A comprehensive understanding of rhizosphere microbiomes, along with the clarification of rhizosphere diversity functions, presents a valuable opportunity to leverage beneficial plant-microbe interactions for the benefit of plants. Rhizosphere engineering (RE) enhances plant resilience to various environmental disturbances and contributes to the restoration of soil and ecosystem productivity. Rhizosphere engineers can enhance plant health and increase agricultural production by modifying a plant’s root structure and its surrounding environment to establish an optimal habitat. This chapter outlines several strategies for targeting rhizosphere components, with particular emphasis on PGPR, which may substantially enhance RE in food crop plants. Future research should prioritize the integration of recent omics and nanotechnology methods to investigate rhizomicrobiome diversity and its interactions with environmental factors, aiming to sustain ecosystem services.