New approach expands quantification of nutrient exchange in plant tissues, the rhizosphere and soil

Organic carbon in soil is linked to enhanced plant growth and to improved subsurface biodiversity, and it is a potential sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Yet, injection of organic carbon into soil through various root processes is typically focused on small spatial regions, which can confound attempts to quantify the carbon and correlate it with various microenvironments that exist around plant roots.