ABSTRACT
Rhizosphere engineering is more of an interdisciplinary approach and requires knowledge from different disciplines. Understanding the ecology of the root and soil microflora is essential for developing sound technical strategies to engineer the rhizosphere. Engineering the rhizosphere is mainly done by altering root exudation and could influence microbial populations by inhibiting or enhancing the growth of select microbial members. Several laboratories are constructing transgenic plants promoting the growth of a rhizopshere inhabitant by synthesizing and releasing compounds which only the desired microorganisms can catabolize (termed as the “biased rhizosphere”). Engineered microbial population could synthesize a desired product discouraging the growth of a rhizosphere competitor, an antibiotic effective against root pathogens, or a compound disrupting the life cycles of insects and nematodes near the root. Soil amendments have direct effects on soil dwelling organisms and plants. Disease-suppressive soils provide some of the best examples in which plants protect themselves against soil-borne pathogens by “naturally engineering” the composition of rhizosphere microbial populations. The integration of knowledge into crop breeding strategies of how plants regulate the composition of the root microbiome could greatly contribute to agricultural sustainability.
