Iron Speciation At Rice Root/Soil Interface.

Paddy rice is grown in submerging conditions. The associated change in soil microbial activities from aerobic to anaerobic fermentation of organic matter results in the reductive dissolution of Fe(III)-containing minerals, leading to the releases of Fe(II) into soil solution. The temporal variations in the chemical speciation of Fe may subsequently determine the mineral composition at rice rhizosphere and the Fe uptake of rice root. In this study, micro-probe techniques were applied to investigate the Fe speciation and mineral composition at rice rhizosphere. The information will be crucial for understanding the Fe acquisition process of rice root.