Primer crops for hostile subsoils

摘要

The Grains Research and Development Corporation is funding collaboration between CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra, the ACT, and VIDA in Horsham, Victoria, for research to evaluate inclusion of 'primer plants' in rotation with crops. A primer specieshas the potential to enhance overall plant productivity by improving subsoil conditions. This would mainly be achieved through roots of plant species tolerant to the soil physicochemical barriers being able to sufficiently modify the soil in their immediate surroundings (rhizosphere). This will provide a more benign environment and/or a preferential pathway for roots of following crops.