A Rhizosphere Effect of the Pea Root on Soil Algae

STARKEY 1 , in a review of the effects of the rhizosphere on the soil microflora, found that a stimulatory effect could be observed on the gross populations of bacteria, actinomycetes, yeast and fungi in the soil. For the algae, however, no evidence was presented, although Starkey surmized that any effects may be either directly or indirectly deleterious. Hadfield 3 showed that the seedlings of the tea plant could significantly increase the algal population on the surface of the soil. The size of the population was estimated by the soil dilution method.