Rhizosphere Engineering and Stress Resilience in Plants: Concepts and Applications

“In the hidden realm beneath our feet, a complex network of interactions unfolds between plant roots and the surrounding soil”. The rhizosphere is a zone of intense biological and chemical activity, which plays a critical role in shaping plant growth, nutrient uptake, and ecosystem functioning. Recent advances in our understanding of root signaling and rhizosphere engineering have revealed the vast potential for manipulating these interactions to enhance crop productivity, improve soil health, and mitigate environmental stresses. It is worthwhile to decipher the molecular signals and nutrient exchanges between plants and microbes, which can in turn facilitate to design an innovative strategy to optimize rhizosphere functioning. It is imperative to bring about the development of more climate-resilient crops, improve soil carbon sequestration, and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers. This field also offers opportunities for novel biotechnological applications, including the development of microbe-based biofertilizers and biopesticides. As we continue to face the challenges of a growing global population and environmental degradation, rhizosphere engineering offers a cutting-edge solution to crop productivity. It enables harnessing the power of plant–microbe interactions, unlocking new avenues for sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem restoration. This preface sets the stage for exploring the latest advances and future directions in rhizosphere engineering, highlighting its potential to revolutionize our understanding of soil ecosystems and promote a more sustainable future. This book explores the cutting-edge science and applications of rhizosphere engineering and root signaling, bringing together insights from plant biology, soil science, microbiology, and ecology. Unraveling the intricate communication networks between roots and soil can unveil new strategies for sustainable agriculture, ecosystem restoration, and environmental resilience.