13 Impact of Roots, Microorganisms and Microfauna on the Fate of Soil Phosphorus in the Rhizosphere

Annual Plant Reviews book series, Volume 48: Phosphorus Metabolism in Plants
IV. Significance of Plant-Microbe Interactions for P-Acquisition and Metabolism
Philippe Hinsinger

Philippe Hinsinger

INRA, UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier, France

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Laetitia Herrmann

Laetitia Herrmann

CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, Land Development Department, Office of Science for Land Development, Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia

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Didier Lesueur

Didier Lesueur

CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, Land Development Department, Office of Science for Land Development, Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand

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Agnès Robin

Agnès Robin

CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier, France

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Jean Trap

Jean Trap

IRD, UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier, France

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Kittima Waithaisong

Kittima Waithaisong

INRA, UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier, France

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Claude Plassard

Claude Plassard

INRA, UMR Eco&Sols, Montpellier, France

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First published: 20 April 2018
Citations: 15
This article was originally published in 2015 in Phosphorus Metabolism in Plants, Volume 48 (ISBN 9781118958858) of the Annual Plant Reviews book series, this volume edited by William C. Plaxton and Hans Lambers. The article was republished in Annual Plant Reviews online in April 2018.

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) occurs at low concentrations in soils because of the numerous processes responsible for P sorption or immobilisation. Soil P is also characterised by its restricted mobility, and thus the most limiting step of P acquisition is not its absorption by plant roots, but rather the many processes that determine the fate of soil P in the rhizosphere. This chapter describes these various processes, including those directly mediated by plants (which vary considerably with plant species), and those related to soil microbial and microfaunal activities. In order to overcome the restricted mobility of soil P, plants have evolved several features aimed at increasing the rhizosphere volume by increasing the absorptive surfaces, notably root elongation and branching. The formation of root hairs and mycorrhizas is also triggered by interactions with plant growth promoting microorganisms. Plants have also evolved strategies aimed at increasing soil P concentrations via the mobilisation of inorganic and organic pools of soil P. These imply changes in pH, and the release of P-mobilising compounds such as carboxylates and phosphatases, that are exuded by the roots themselves or by rhizosphere microorganisms. Finally, the soil microfauna (especially the predators of bacteria and fungi) play an important role in the cycling of soil P in the rhizosphere that deserves further consideration.

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