Increasing Crop Yields: What is the rhizosphere?

As a leading manufacturer and distributor of natural soil nutrition and liquid plant food products that enhance the effects of fertilizer and stimulate plant growth, Pro-Soil Ag Solutions, Inc. is driven by our mission to help farmers improve the health of their soils and the quality of the crops they raise. Knowing about rhizosphere can help a farmer better understand their soil.

The rhizosphere is the zone of soil surrounding a plant root where the biology and chemistry of the soil are influenced by the root. This zone is about 1 mm wide, but has no distinct edge. Rather, it is an area of intense biological and chemical activity influenced by compounds exuded by the root, and by microorganisms feeding on the compounds.

As plant roots grow through soil they release water soluble compounds such as amino acids, sugars and organic acids that supply food for the microorganisms. The food supply means microbiological activity in the rhizosphere is much greater than in soil away from plant roots. In return, the microorganisms provide nutrients for the plants.

All this activity makes the rhizosphere the most dynamic environment in the soil. Because roots are underground, rhizosphere activity has been largely overlooked, and it is only now that we are starting to unravel the complex interactions that occur. For this reason, the rhizosphere has been called the last frontier in agricultural science. Stay tuned to our next blog to learn more.

Pro-soil products improve soil health by stimulating and feeding native microbial life in the soil which creates a higher yielding crop. To learn more about how you can increase your crop yield, contact us today!