Rhizospheric environment and crop prductivity: A review

Dwarf architecture of wheat and rice plants and their extensive cultivation made India a nation of food surplus. Realisation of higher crop yield required intensive use of fertilizers and water, which in turn resulted in over-exploi-tation of natural resources, leading to decline in factor productivity, soil organic C content, groundwater table and multiple-nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, it has became essential to manage natural resources to sustain health and fertility status of the soil for maintaining adequate supply of water and nutrients to the crop plants. The rhizospheric environment, which regulates the dynamics of water and nutrient availability as well as their uptake by the roots from the soil, is crucial in this regard. Soil organic matter plays a key role in sustaining soil health. It has been envisaged that increase in the use of legumes in crop rotation, green manuring, organic mulches, farmyard manure (FYM), residue recycling, biological N2 fixers and mycorrhizal associations along with effective use of soil microbes hold the key to sustain appropriate rhizospheric environment and crop productivity.