Location: Plant Science Research
Title: Simple roots make life in soil complexAuthor
|
Submitted to: Hay and Forage Grower
Publication Type: Popular Publication Publication Acceptance Date: 2/24/2024 Publication Date: 2/24/2024 Citation: Franzluebbers, A.J. 2024. Simple roots make life in soil complex. Hay and Forage Grower. https://hayandforage.com/print-article-4718-permanent.html. Interpretive Summary: Roots give plants the structural footing to withstand the tempest wind and the pouring rain. An ARS scientist in Raleigh, North Carolina described how roots are the hidden half of the many products derived from forages. The rhizosphere has several orders of magnitude greater microbial biomass, potentially greater microbial diversity, and greater microbial activity than bulk soil. Daily life on the farm can be simply nurturing the complexity of soil life that masterfully abounds in the presence of a diversity of roots. This short essay on the functioning of roots and the rhizosphere continues a series of popular press articles aimed at farmers managing forage and grazing lands in the US. Technical Abstract: Roots give plants the structural footing to withstand the tempest wind and the pouring rain. An ARS scientist in Raleigh, North Carolina described how roots are the hidden half of the many products derived from forages. The rhizosphere has several orders of magnitude greater microbial biomass, potentially greater microbial diversity, and greater microbial activity than bulk soil. Daily life on the farm can be simply nurturing the complexity of soil life that masterfully abounds in the presence of a diversity of roots. This short essay on the functioning of roots and the rhizosphere continues a series of popular press articles aimed at farmers managing forage and grazing lands in the US. |
