417: The rhizosphere - the mysterious world crucial to the future of food

There is a bewildering world beneath our feet that is both teeming with life and crucial to the global food system. It is a narrow, constantly moving, ever evolving, region within the soil known as the rhizosphere and it is vital to the health of crops and the land itself. A healthy rhizosphere is filled with a diverse range of microorganisms, which means taking care of it is anything but simple. In fact, there is lots we do not know about this complex region, or about the way those microorganisms interact with the soil and crops. In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Anglo American, we delve into what we do know about the rhizosphere and gain an understanding of what else science is trying to learn about it. The prospect of acquiring new knowledge makes this a fascinating topic, and we know that gaining a greater understanding of the rhizosphere is crucial to the future of farming. There are few people in the world who know more about this topic than our guest. Guest: Kathryn Bartlett, Soil Scientist, Anglo American Crop Nutrients