How Plant Root Exudates Shape the Nitrogen Cycle.

Devrim Coskun, Dev T Britto, Weiming Shi, Herbert J Kronzucker

Trends in plant science 2017 Aug

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Although the global nitrogen (N) cycle is largely driven by soil microbes, plant root exudates can profoundly modify soil microbial communities and influence their N transformations. A detailed understanding is now beginning to emerge regarding the control that root exudates exert over two major soil N processes - nitrification and N2 fixation. We discuss recent breakthroughs in this area, including the identification of root exudates as nitrification inhibitors and as signaling compounds facilitating N-acquisition symbioses. We indicate gaps in current knowledge, including questions of how root exudates affect newly discovered microbial players and N-cycle components. A better understanding of these processes is urgent given the widespread inefficiencies in agricultural N use and their links to N pollution and climate change. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Devrim Coskun, Dev T Britto, Weiming Shi, Herbert J Kronzucker. How Plant Root Exudates Shape the Nitrogen Cycle. Trends in plant science. 2017 Aug;22(8):661-673