Keep in touch: the soil-root hydraulic continuum and its role in drought resistance in crops

Abstract

Drought is a major threat to food security worldwide. Recently, the root-soil interface has emerged as a major site of hydraulic resistance during water stress. Here, we review the impact of soil drying on whole-plant hydraulics and discuss mechanisms by which plants can adapt by modifying the properties of the rhizosphere either directly or through interactions with the soil microbiome.

Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF); extracellular polymeric substances (EPS); mucilage; rhizodeposition; rhizosheath; root architecture; root hairs.