Important Glossaries in Agricultural Microbiology 2024/2025

Rhizosphere: The zone of soil immediately surrounding plant roots, containing microorganisms, different from bulk soil. This region is impacted by the plant roots and their needs for nutrients.
Biofilm: Microorganisms and organic matter accumulate around root surfaces creating layers.
Endorhiza: Microorganisms inside plant root cells.
Spermosphere: Increased microbial activity area around seeds (1-20mm from seed) during germination.
Decomposers: Recycle organic matter into nutrients for the environment.
Ecosystem: A system involving both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components in an area.
Rhizoplane: The soil particles adhering to the plant root surface. This soil-plant interface is crucial for microbial activities.
Oligotrophs: Organisms capable of survival and growth in environments with low nutrient levels.
Allochthonous: Organisms that arrive in a habitat from somewhere else temporarily.
Biogeochemical cycles: Processes involving chemical element recycling through oxidation or reduction.

Rhizosphere: The region of soil immediately adjacent to roots, where microbial communities differ from bulk soil.
Biofilm: A community of microorganisms and their products attached to root surfaces in the soil.
Endorhiza: Microorganisms within the inner layers of plant roots.
Spermosphere: The soil area (1–20mm) surrounding seeds undergoing germination exhibiting high microbial activity.
Decomposers: Break down organic matter, returning nutrients to the environment.
Ecosystem Stability: The capacity of soil to recover from major disruptions.
Rhizoplane: The area of soil adhering to plant roots, providing a specific microenvironment for microbes.
Oligotrophs: Organisms capable of survival at very low nutrient levels.
Allochthonous: Organisms temporarily in an area, not part of the natural community there.

Microbial interactions in soil: Soil microbes interact in ways that benefit or impact plant development, growth, and health.
Neutral interactions (Neutralism): Microorganisms interact with no impact on each other.
Mutualism: Both organisms benefit from interaction.
Facultative mutualism: Some organisms can survive without interaction in some conditions.
Obligate mutualism: Both species cannot survive individually.
Lichen: Symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae (or cyanobacteria).
Commensalism: One organism benefits, the other is not affected.
Protocooperation (Synergism): Both organisms benefit.
Oligotrophic: Low nutrient environments limiting some microbial life.
Eutrophic: Excessive richness of nutrients in an environment, impacting microbial life.

Plant-microorganism interactions: The relationships between plants and microbes in the soil are affected by biotic and abiotic factors.
Endophytes: Microorganisms inside the plant tissues helping the plant.
Epiphytes: Microorganisms on the plant surface.
R-S Ratio: The ratio of microbial population per soil weight in rhizosphere to the outside of rhizosphere
Mutualism: Relationship where both microorganisms and plants benefit.
Endomycorrhizae: Mutualistic associations between plant's roots and fungi.
Obligate Mutualism: A type of mutualism where one or both species cannot survive without the other.
Appressorium: Structure of fungus promoting penetration into plants.
Vesicles: Storage sites of nutrients within the fungi.
Symbiotic Nitrogen: Nitrogen-fixing bacteria converting atmospheric nitrogen to usable forms.

Biosphere: Encompasses all living things and their interactions on Earth.
Carbon Cycle: describes the processes that move carbon through different reservoirs on Earth.
Photosynthesis: The process that converts solar energy into chemical energy (sugars) in plants.
Respiration: Processes that convert sugars to chemical energy.
Decomposition: Breaking down dead organic matter.
Aerobic Decomposition: Requires oxygen and leads to carbon dioxide as byproduct, whereas anaerobic decomposition happens without oxygen.
Mineralization: Converting organic matter to inorganic forms.
Immobilisation: Incorporating inorganic nitrogen into organic form.
Diffusion: The movement of molecules from a high concentration to a low concentration.
Erosion: The process of moving soil away from its place.
Decomposition: Break down of organic matter
Lithosphere Cycle: The cycle impacting the lithosphere.
Lactic Acid Fermentation: A process happening without oxygen by bacteria and fungi.
Sedimentation: Accumulating material in one place.
Alcohol Fermentation: A process that occurs in anaerobic settings producing alcohol and carbon dioxide .

Nitrogen: The essential element for plant health is Nitrogen.
Nitrogen Fixation: Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for plants.
Non-symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation: The process of nitrogen fixation by free-living bacteria.
Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation: Nitrogen fixation within plant's roots.
Nitrification: Converting ammonia to nitrates.
Denitrification: Converting nitrates back to nitrogen gas.
Ammonification: Converting organic nitrogen to ammonia.
Decomposition: The breakdown of complex organic matter in the soil to simpler products.
Mineralization: The release of inorganic forms of nutrients from organic matter.
Immobilization: The incorporation of inorganic nutrients into organic compounds.
Nitrogen Assimilation: Incorporating inorganic Nitrogen into plant structures.
Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation: Microbes converting ammonia and nitrite to nitrogen gas.