Good Impacts of Rhizosphere

microorganisms 
1. Influencing the nutrient status of plants
2. Supporting plant growth under biotic stress
3. Supporting plant growth under abiotic stress
 1. Effects of rhizosphere microorganisms on the nutrient status of plants

- Rhizobacteria release the nutritive cations

from soil minerals for plant nutrition
• Ex: Nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and the
mycorrhizal fungi significantly influence
Phosphorus uptake in plant
- Rhizobacteria facilitate the uptake of specific
trace elements
• Ex: Rhizobacteria employ a variety of
mechanisms to regulate intracellular iron
Nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and the mycorrhizal
concentrations by secretion of siderophores fungi
2. Supporting plant growth under biotic stress

Rhizobacteria produce metabolites  inhibit

the growth/activity of competing
microorganisms
• Ex: agrocin 84 produced by Agrobacterium
radiobacter exhibit antibiotic activities
against closely related species.
 2. Supporting plant growth under biotic stress
Rhizobacteria produce volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) 
VOCs:
- Properties: small molecules (< 300 Da), have
high vapor pressures, and able to diffuse
through the water- and gas-filled pores in soil 
- Sources: from various species
including  P. fluorescens, B. subtilis,etc.
Different known functions of microbial volatile
organic compounds (VOCs)
3. Supporting plant growth under abiotic stress

Rhizobacteria may alter plant

physiological response under biotic
stress
• Ex: Halotolerant bacteria (e.g:
Bacillus) thrive under salt-stress
conditions + host plant  express
traits that promote plant growth.   
 3. Supporting plant growth under abiotic stress
(salinity, flooding, pH, toxic compounds,…)
• Rhizoremediation
 clean polluted sites.
 stimulate the survival and
activity of rhizobacteria that
degrade pollutants.
Ex: Verrucomicrobia  &
Actinobacteria: abundant in the
contaminated rhizospheres 
important in the rhizoremediation Schematic representation of rhizoremediation
process 
References

• rhizosphere microbiome: significance of plant beneficial, plant pathog

enic, and human pathogenic microorganisms | FEMS Microbiology Re
views | Oxford Academic (oup.com)