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Updated: Sep 14, 2025

Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
Published on: March 13, 2014
Steering plant-soil feedback for sustainable agriculture
Guangzhou Wang1, Wim H van der Putten2,3, John Klironomos4
1State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management (SKL-NUM), College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
The challenge of producing food at low monetary cost comes with high environmental impacts as yield maximization by excessive fertilization and chemical pest control drive farmers away from using the natural multifunctional potential of soils. We show how the ecological concept of plant-soil feedback can be used to restore the capacity of agricultural soils to provide nutrients, suppress pathogens, and enhance crop resilience sustainably. We review how recent advances in molecular and multiomic methods, soil management, and crop diversification reduce negative and promote positive plant-soil feedback, emphasizing the need for rhizosphere microbiome engineering and soil restoration strategies. Applying nature-based plant-soil feedback principles would enhance transformation to more sustainable agricultural practices that secure food production by restoring natural soil functions, while simultaneously mitigating climate change.
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