Root Exudates and Microorganisms

Plant roots influence the physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the soil in the rhizosphere. The biogeochemical reactions induced by microorganisms at the soil–root interface (i.e., rhizosphere) play an important role in the bioavailability of nutrients and metals to plants. This microenvironment is characterized by distinct physical, chemical, and biological conditions compared with the bulk soil, largely created by the plant roots and its microbial associations. Such associations can include nonsymbiotic and symbiotic organisms such as bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. The microbial populations are an essential part of the rhizosphere and affect the rhizosphere soil by their various activities such as water and nutrient uptake, exudation, and biological transformations.