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Published on: July 24, 2018
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Choreographing rhizosphere effect with agricultural practices for agroecology?
Edith Le Cadre1, Sebastian Mira1,2, Xiaoyan Tang3
1Institut Agro, INRAE, SAS, Rennes, France.
Plos One
|September 4, 2025
Summary
Sustainable farming relies on soil-plant interactions, but management practices disrupt this. Reduced tillage and crop diversity boost the rhizosphere effect, enhancing nutrient cycling for healthier crops.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Ecology
- Soil Science
- Plant Nutrition
Background:
- Soil-plant interactions, specifically the rhizosphere effect, are crucial for plant health and nutrition in sustainable agriculture.
- Conventional agricultural management practices can negatively interfere with beneficial rhizosphere effects.
- Understanding how crop diversity and tillage impact the rhizosphere is key for optimizing nutrient cycling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the rhizosphere effect of winter wheat under varying crop diversity and tillage intensities.
- To assess the influence of high vs. low crop diversity and conventional vs. reduced tillage on soil enzyme activities.
- To determine the implications of these agricultural practices for nutrient cycling in arable land.
Main Methods:
- Field study on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum var. LG Absalon) with two crop diversity levels (high/low) and two tillage intensities (conventional/reduced).
- Quantified the rhizosphere effect by measuring differences in key enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, arylamidase, acid phosphatase) between rhizosphere and bulk soil.
- Analyzed enzyme activities related to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.
Main Results:
- Positive rhizosphere effects were observed for all studied enzymes (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus cycling).
- Reduced tillage and high crop diversity significantly intensified the rhizosphere effect for all enzymes.
- The positive impact of crop diversification on the rhizosphere effect was diminished under conventional tillage.
Conclusions:
- Agroecological management, particularly reduced tillage and crop diversification, can enhance the rhizosphere effect and promote nutrient cycling.
- Conventional tillage practices can negate the benefits of crop diversification on soil-plant interactions.
- Synchronizing agricultural practices with the rhizosphere effect is essential for successful agroecological transitions and sustainable farming.
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