A Visit to the Land Down Under
No, this isn’t about Australia, sorry. The land down under I am concerned with is the part of the soil called the rhizophere. The word rhizosphere is derived from the Greek word for root and world (or surroundings). It is the area found in close proximity to the roots of plants and is “influenced by or influences” root growth. The distance around each root is variable; there is no distinct measurement of the distance from the root that is affected, but is generally the ¼ inch of soil surrounding each root. Soil outside of the rhizosphere is termed bulk soil, or more specifically, edaphosphere.
The rhizosphere is the primary area of concern for turf mangers. The growth and expansion of roots directly affects the health and vitality of the rest of the plant. In agriculture, establishing a good root system is important to yield, both amount and quality. In ornamental horticulture most issues are minimized by assuring good root growth. Vigor, flower production and color, disease and even insect resistance are facilitated by the amount and quality of roots.
In turf, leaf color, disease resistance and, most importantly, stress recovery are primarily influenced by the level of root growth established. So this tiny area, the rhizosphere, is the absolute key to great turf quality. In golf greens, with the high traffic and very low mowing heights it is of utmost importance that roots be kept healthy.
So what exactly is going on in this influential area? When roots grow, they exude substances called mucigel. This is slippery goo that acts to lubricate the expansion of root tip cells into new soil but also act to help soil particles adhere to the root surfaces. This adherence greatly aids in the uptake of nutrients and water.
As mucigel also contains sugars and carbohydrates, it is a perfect substrate for microbial activity. This allows for microbial colonies to exist in close proximity to the root hairs. From this position, different microorganisms affect mineral solubility, molecular ionic charge, and can secrete their own biological substances that can aid in disease and/or soil pest resistance. As the root grows, the mucigel makes it easier for the root tips to penetrate the soil. The cell walls are stationary as the growing point basically grows within the sheath of the maturing root wall. The gel left behind will adhere soil particles and their accompanying nutrition and microbes to the root wall.
As Wikipedia says, “The rhizosphere contains many bacteria that feed on sloughed-off plant cells, termed rhizodeposition, and the proteins and sugars released by roots. Protozoa and nematodes that graze on bacteria are also more abundant in the rhizosphere. Thus, much of the nutrient cycling and disease suppression needed by plants occurs immediately adjacent to roots.”
This is how the nutrition in Nature Safe is made available to the plant.
Soil microbes digest and then release plant nutrients contained in Nature Safe’s proteins in close proximity to the root system. Substantial root enhancement is a trait of using Nature Safe. From that enhancement comes better color (efficient use of existing nutrition in the rhizosphere), resistance to stress (roots can be unaffected by many surface stress factors resulting in plants holding up longer under stressful conditions), and quick recovery from mechanical damage (stored food in roots start faster regrowth from ball marks, foot traffic and divots in golf and torsion and cleat damage in sports fields).
We recommend an integrated approach to feeding plants. But the rhizosphere is greatly aided and universally designed to utilize the biochemical systems that are part of the Nature Safe path to plant nutrition. By accentuating this living, symbiotic system, excellent roots will lead to excellent turf quality.
Now, I think it’s time to throw another shrimp on the bar-b and open a cold Foster’s. G’day mate!
GES offers the entire line of Nature Safe Organic Fertilizers. Contact your GES Rep for information on which formulation is right for your specific needs.
Note: In essence, this article describes the theory behind what GES has been talking about for years and the products we recommend. Products such as Nature Safe, GenNext, Humates, and the balancing of soil chemistry all act to enhance the rhizosphere and the microbial activity in this area of the soil. A great rhizosphere (healthy soil) makes for a healthy dense turf stand.