Plants actually “farm” and feed on microbes to acquire nutrients: an unexpected plant-microbe interaction Dr. James White’s work on rhizophagy revealed.
James White’s research reveals that plants are not passive recipients of microbial help, but active participants in a microbial nutrient economy, reshaping how we understand root biology, symbiosis, and plant nutrition.
Key Breakthroughs:
1. Rhizophagy Cycle Discovery:
White and his team discovered the rhizophagy cycle, where plants take in live microbes (mainly bacteria and some fungi) into root cells, then strip them of nutrients using reactive oxygen species (ROS). The damaged microbes are then expelled back into the soil, where they recover and repeat the cycle.
2. Plants as Microbe Harvesters:
This challenged the traditional idea that plants passively absorb nutrients. Instead, plants actively extract nutrients from microbes inside their own cells, much like a predator-prey relationship. It is a hybrid of symbiosis and nutrient harvesting.
3. Nutrient Acquisition Strategy:
The rhizophagy process allows plants to access key nutrients like nitrogen, iron, and zinc from microbes without relying solely on root absorption from soil solution, making this an adaptive strategy especially in nutrient-poor environments.
4. Microbial Farming:
Plants exude sugars and other compounds into the rhizosphere to recruit and feed beneficial microbes, essentially cultivating them like crops. After “harvesting” them via rhizophagy, the cycle continues, suggesting plants maintain an active microbial workforce for nutrient supply.
5. Implications for Agriculture:
These findings have significant implications for agriculture, suggesting new strategies for microbial inoculants and regenerative practices that could reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers and improve crop resilience and sustainability.
Plant Fact: Plants Farm Microbes!
