b'S T R A T E G YWhen it Comes to Soil Health, Were Doing it WrongSoil isnt an inert growth medium like we once might have thought. Its teeming with beneficial organisms, and experts say the time is now to think about it in a new way. Marc ZienkiewiczSOIL HEALTH ISmore important than ever,In this cycle, bacteria and fungi alternate SPEAKERS as seed sellers and growers face the challengesbetween a free-living phase in the soil and a of climate change and ensuring food security. plant-dependent phase within the cells of plant According to a recent report by the Food androots. Microbes in the soil acquire nutrients, such Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsas nitrogen and minerals, and these nutrients are (FAO), soil degradation affects about 33% of globalsubsequently extracted from the microbes within land area. In Canada and the United States, soilthe plant root cells.erosion alone causes an annual loss of about 1.6 James White billion tons of topsoil, equivalent to the loss of 7.9The rhizophagy cycle plays a huge role in Professor of Plant Pathology,million acres of cropland, according to the FAO. crop health.Rutgers University This has serious implications for the sustain- The rhizophagy cycle operates as follows: plants ability and profitability of the agricultural sector, asessentially farm microbes around their root well as the resilience and well-being of rural com- tips by secreting sugars, proteins, and vitamins. munities. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt andThese microbes then enter the root cells at the promote soil health practices that can enhance soilgrowing tips, where the cells lack rigid cell walls quality, productivity and functionality, while reduc- and are actively dividing. Inside these root cells, ing the negative impacts of soil degradation on thethe microbes shed their cell walls and become Senator Robert Black environment and society. trapped. Chair of Canadas SenateOur recent webinar on this very topic shed lightThey are exposed to reactive oxygen, such Committee on Agriculture andon the new soil health movement that is showingas superoxide, which breaks down some of the Forestry exactly how soil really works to help plants thrive,microbe cells, effectively extracting nutrients from and how humans have neglectedand damagedthem. Surviving microbes stimulate the forma- this delicate soil ecosystem over time. tion of root hairs on the plant roots. Subsequently, The webinar included four experts includingthese microbes depart from the root hairs at the James White, a professor of plant pathology atgrowing hair tips, where the cell walls of the hair Rutgers University who has been conducting soilcells remain soft. Yamily Zavala health research for several years. White and hisThe microbes then reconstruct their cell walls Soil Health & Crop Managementteam have uncovered the mechanism throughas they return to the soil, acquiring nutrients in the Specialist, Chinook Appliedwhich plants utilize soil microbes to acquire essen- process. This cycle repeats itself continuously. Research Association tial nutrients, a process he has named the rhizo- People have long theorized that plants might phagy cycle.obtain nutrients from microbes, but the mecha-This process holds significant potential fornisms for nutrient transfer from microbes to plants enhancing crop productivity, combating weedhave remained elusive until now, White says. growth, and reducing the need for environmentallyUnderstanding this process may open the harmful fertilizers and herbicides. door to growing plants with minimal or no need for He and his collaborators have discovered thatfertilizers and herbicides. We can manipulate this plants actively cultivate and then extract nutrientssystem to enhance the growth of desirable plants Trevor Blois from symbiotic microbes, and that this cycle canwhile suppressing the growth of undesirable ones, Disease Diagnostician,affect plant growth, weed suppression, and fertilizerpotentially using the same microbes.20/20 Seed Labs and herbicide use. 114/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2023'