Root–soil adhesion as affected by crop species in a volcanic sandy soil of Mexico

Pearl Millet Genetic Traits Shape Rhizobacterial Diversity and Modulate Rhizosphere Aggregation

“…We have shown that RAS/RT ratio in pearl millet is strongly dependent on plant line and therefore under genetic control. But besides plant species (de León-González et al, 2006 ) and intraspecific variability (our study), the RAS/RT ratio depends on several other factors such as harvesting conditions, plant development stage, and soil moisture (Alami et al, 2000 ). We designed plant growth conditions to minimize variations in soil moisture.…”

Empirical models for predicting the erosion-reducing effects of plant roots during concentrated flow erosion

“…On the other hand, the relationship between SM and the soil's resistance to erosion by concentrated flow seems opposite to previous findings dealing with root reinforcement and soil moisture status in relation to soil shear strength. Several studies report that roots increase the apparent soil cohesion to a larger extent in dry soils (Tengbeh, 1993;Watt et al, 1994;de Léon-González et al, 2006;Pollen, 2007). This can be explained by the difference in soil erosion processes involved.…”

Spatial distribution of rhizodeposits provides built-in water potential gradient in the rhizosphere

“…The importance of the rhizosphere to healthy functioning and resilience of a plant cannot be overstated considering that it is (a) the passage for almost all water and nutrients utilized by plants, (b) a medium for efficient gas exchange during root respiration, and (c) a locus of beneficial association between plants and soil microorganisms (Gregory, 2006;Hallett et al, 2003;Raven and Edwards, 2001). It has been extensively reported that plants invest a large portion of their photosynthetic carbon in the development and maintenance of the rhizosphere (Czarnes et al, 2000b;de León-González et al, 2006;Nambiar, 1976;Sprent, 1975;Watt et al, 1994), which likely improves their ability to optimally exploit water and nutrient distributions in the soil (Gao et al, 2011;Marschner, 2012;Morgan et al, 2005).…”

“…The second premise is that rhizodeposits tend to get affixed to soil particles during drying. A remarkable evidence of attachment between exudates and soil particles is the formation of rhizosheath-aggregated soil zone that remains attached to the root when removed from soil (de León-González et al, 2006;Watt et al, 1994). Recently, we have shown that the primary mechanism of rhizosheath formation is deposition of exudates at inter-particle contacts during drying (Albalasmeh and Ghezzehei, 2014).…”