Rhizobacteria coexist around the roots of plants, and the diverse and complex population of bacteria is called rhizosphere bacteria flora. This symbiotic relationship between the roots and the rhizosphere bacteria flora is often compared to the relationship between the intestines of animals and the gut microbiota. However, biologically speaking, plants do not have an organ called the intestine. Rather, if we consider the roots, rhizosphere bacteria, and soil as a whole, it would be better to think that this corresponds to the organ called the intestine.
Various organ-specific and disease-specific biomarkers are used in health and pathological diagnoses in human to see whether a person is healthy or unhealthy.
If this idea is applied to the roots and rhizobacteria of plants as it is, there might be markers that indicate the degree of intestinal health of plants, that is, rhizosphere markers . By using this idea, isn’t it possible to build a new plant soil monitoring system?
That is, in addition to the conventional indicators used in soil diagnosis, chemical indicators such as pH and water content, and physical indicators such as soil density, biological indicators, called rhizosphere markers is added.
Recent advances in gene analysis technology have made it possible to analyze the composition of rhizosphere bacterial flora without isolating and culturing rhizobacteria from soil. The interactions between individual bacteria have begun to be understand, for instance from a view point of helper bacteria that help Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. However, blog admin considers that there will be a limit in understanding such complex systems by reducing methods, and the composition of rhizosphere bacterial flora showing similar characteristics from a macro perspective will not be unique, but various.
Therefore, finding a rhizosphere marker from a macroscopic perspective that accurately represents the intestinal health of a plant and finding a way to control it could be the best way to manage plants. I think.