Search

This article reports that the International Conference "Rhizosphere 2004: Perspectives and Challenges: A Tribute to Lorenz Hiltner," was held in Munich, Germany, from September 12-17, 2004. It was initiated as a main activity of COS, an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research was a European initiative in 2004 to create a network of scientists from all disciplines involved in research of the plant root-soil interface. The session was organized to provide an overview on the role of the rhizosphere in terms of the behavior of both organic and inorganic pollutants in soil-plant-microbe systems, and to explore the prospects of manipulating the rhizosphere for control of pollutants and remediation of contaminated soils. Currently, there are only a few practical applications of such rhizotechnology. A main limitation is the lack of detailed understanding of the processes that a involved, making plant microbe-based remedial actions hardly predictable. Some papers addressed the effects of altered chemical milieus in the rhizosphere on metal or radiocesium mobility and/or phytoavailability.