Rhizosphere Microbial Communities and Heavy Metals

Urban Farm DB summary

A review of the rhizosphere as a microhabitat of intense chemical dialogue between plants and microorganisms covers synergistic interactions that can enhance plant function and productivity, including responses to stress conditions such as heavy metal (HM) contamination, alongside the risks such contamination poses. Where heavy metals are present in agricultural soils, there is a risk of metal uptake by edible plants leading to bioaccumulation in humans and animals with detrimental health consequences, and plant productivity itself can be negatively affected; many bacteria have defensive mechanisms for resisting heavy metals and can improve plant responses to HM stress, but achieving such beneficial rhizosphere interactions is described as hard to attain in agroecosystems managed with traditional practices that focus on maximizing crop yield.