We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
In-Depth Insights into the Complex Interplay Between Microbial Diversity, Ecological Functionality, and Soil Health in Rice Agroecosystems
Summary
This review paper summarizes existing research on tiny organisms (microbes) that live in rice paddies and how they affect the rice we eat. Scientists found that these microbes play important roles in rice farming - they help break down plant waste, control harmful gases like methane, and can influence whether rice contains dangerous toxins or beneficial nutrients. The research suggests that farmers could manage these microbes better to grow healthier rice while protecting the environment, but more studies are needed to make this practical.
Although microbial communities in rice agroecosystems regulate nitrogen transformations, methane dynamics, crop residue decomposition, and pathogen suppression, their integration into agronomic decision-making remains limited. Existing rice microbiome reviews largely describe taxonomic diversity without critically linking microbial processes to management trade-offs, greenhouse gas mitigation, and productivity outcomes. This review synthesizes current knowledge through a process-based and management-oriented framework, emphasizing how water and crop residue management, fertilization, tillage, and genotype selection shape microbial functionality rather than merely community composition. Advances in stable isotope probing (SIP), metatranscriptomics, and multi-omics have improved functional inference, yet a persistent gap remains between genetic potential and in situ process rates. By integrating microbiome science within a One Health perspective, we propose a conceptual framework linking microbial network structure to interconnected dimensions of ecosystem, plant, and human health. This framework addresses not only agronomic outcomes but also food safety concerns, including mycotoxin contamination by fungal pathogens, microbial contributions to nutritional quality, and pathways through which soil and plant microbiomes influence human health via the food chain. We critically examine how microbiome management can simultaneously target productivity, environmental sustainability, and health risk mitigation. We identify priority research needs in predictive microbial ecology, activity-based validation, and microbiome-informed management strategies. Rather than framing microbiomes as a universal solution to global food security, this review critically examines their realistic and context-dependent contribution to improving sustainability, resilience, and resource-use efficiency in rice production under climatic and environmental constraints, while safeguarding food safety and public health.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
A Comparison of Rice Root Microbial Dynamics in Organic and Conventional Paddy Fields
Researchers compared the root-associated microbial communities of rice plants grown in organic versus conventional paddy fields across different growth stages. They found that organic farming supported more dynamic and diverse microbial communities, including beneficial methane-oxidizing and nitrogen-fixing bacteria at key growth stages. The study suggests that agricultural management practices significantly shape the microbial partners that support rice plant health and nutrient uptake throughout the growing season.
Microplastic pollution in rice systems: Impacts, mechanisms and green remediation strategies
This review examines how microplastic contamination in rice paddies affects soil health, microbial communities, and crop yields, finding that the particles disrupt nutrient cycling, impair root growth, and reduce grain production. Researchers evaluated a range of remediation strategies including phytoremediation, microbial degradation, algae-based approaches, and genetic engineering techniques. The study highlights the urgent need for integrated solutions to protect food security from growing plastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Fate of nano/microplastics and associated toxic pollutants in paddy ecosystems: Current knowledge and future perspectives
Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics enter rice paddies through irrigation, mulch films, and atmospheric deposition, then harm soil health and rice plant growth by disrupting nutrient cycles and increasing oxidative stress. Their findings are especially significant because rice feeds more than half the world's population, yet research on plastic contamination in paddy systems remains very limited.
Macroinvertebrados aquáticos em sistemas de cultivo de arroz: Um estudo cienciométrico como síntese do conhecimento
This study reviewed 40+ years of research on tiny water creatures called macroinvertebrates that live in rice fields around the world. These small animals are important because they help keep water ecosystems healthy, but intensive farming methods are harming them. Understanding how rice farming affects these creatures matters because healthy water ecosystems in rice fields can help maintain cleaner water and better food production for humans.
Ecological and physiological risks of micro- and nanoplastics in rice agroecosystems: Challenges and engineering-based mitigation approaches
Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics harm rice — a staple crop feeding billions — by disrupting root growth, reducing photosynthesis, altering soil microbes, and making heavy metals more available to plants. The review proposes that ecological engineering strategies like microbial bioremediation and organic soil amendments could help protect agricultural land from plastic contamination.