Modulation of Soil Particle Size and Nutrient Availability in the Maize Rhizosheath

Root exudates, microorganism colonization and soil aggregates together form the rhizosheath, a special cylinder of micro-ecosystem adhering to the root surface. To study how the rhizosheath affects soil structure and nutrient distribution, we analyzed the impact of maize rhizosheath on soil particle size and nutrient availability in pot and field experiments. The results showed that there was a significant size decrease of soil particles in the rhizosheath. Meanwhile, the soil mineral nitrogen in the rhizosheath was significantly higher than that in the rhizosphere or bulk soil at tasseling and maturity stages of maize. The contents of Fe and Mn were also differentially altered in the rhizosheath. Rhizosheath development, indicated by a dry weight ratio of rhizosheath soil to the root, was relatively independent of root development during the whole experimental period. The formation of maize rhizosheath contributed to the modulation of soil particle size and nutrient availability. The subtle local changes of soil physical and chemical properties may have profound influence on soil formation, rhizospheric ecosystem initiation, and mineral nutrient mobilization over the long history of plant evolution and domestication.