Plant photosynthate fuels carbon-limited microbial growth and activity, resulting in increased rhizosphere nitrogen (N) mineralization. Most soil organic nitrogen is macromolecular (chitin, protein, nucleotides); enzymatic depolymerization is likely rate limiting for plant nitrogen accumulation. Analyzing Avena (wild oat) planted in microcosms containing sieved field soil, we observed increased...

The complex and enormous diversity of microorganisms associated with plant roots is important for plant health and growth and is shaped by numerous factors. This study aimed to unravel the effects of the soil type on bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of field-grown lettuce. We used an experimental plot system with three different soil types that were stored at the same site for 10 years ...

Sustainable management of crop productivity and health necessitates improved understanding of the ways in which rhizosphere microbial populations interact with each other, with plant roots and their abiotic environment. In this study we examined the effects of different soils and cultivars, and the presence of a soil-borne fungal pathogen, Verticillium dahliae, on the fungal microbiome of the r...

All processes and functions taking place in the rhizosphere are dominated by the activities of plant roots, rhizosphere microorganisms and root-microorganism interactions, and enzymes are recognized as main actors of all activities occurring in rhizosphere environments. Rhizosphere enzymes have, in general, a higher activity than those operating in bulk soil, as the rhizosphere soil is richer i...

Understanding rhizosphere processes in relation to increasing atmospheric CO(2) concentrations is important for predicting the response of forest ecosystems to environmental changes, because rhizosphere processes are intimately linked with nutrient cycling and soil organic matter decomposition, both of which feedback to tree growth and soil carbon storage. Plants grown in elevated CO(2) substan...

Better understanding of the processes controlling arsenic bioavailability in the rhizosphere is important to enhance plant arsenic accumulation by hyperaccumulators. This greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the chemical characteristics of the rhizosphere of two arsenic hyperaccumulators Pterisvittata and Pterisbiaurita. They were grown for 8 weeks in rhizopots containing arsenic-con...

Rhizosphere competence of bacterial inoculants is assumed to be important for successful biocontrol. Knowledge of factors influencing rhizosphere competence under field conditions is largely lacking. The present study is aimed to unravel the effects of soil types on the rhizosphere competence and biocontrol activity of the two inoculant strains Pseudomonas jessenii RU47 and Serratia plymuthica ...

To explore rhizosphere effects, geographical differences and their effects on the bacterial community associated with the geoherb Fritillaria thunbergii, some physicochemical properties of soil samples (3 sampling sites × 2 habitats (rhizosphere and bulk soil)) were measured and the soil bacterial community detected by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Among the three regions,...

Plant and soil properties cooperatively structure soil microbial communities, with implications for ecosystem functioning. However, the extent to which each factor contributes to community structuring is not fully understood. To quantify the influence of plants and soil properties on microbial diversity and composition in an agricultural context, we conducted an experiment within a corn-based a...

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157: H7 (EHEC) is a major foodborne pathogen capable of causing diarrhea and vomiting, with further complications such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). The aim of this study was to use the real-time PCR method to quantify the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7/pGFP in phyllosphere (leaf surface), rhizosphere (volume of soil tightly held by plant roots), and non-r...