Nitrification-Denitrification in the Rhizosphere

As we have seen in Section 6.4, wetland rice is particularly efficient at absorbing N03. Kirk and Kronzucker (2000) developed a model to calculate the extent to which rice growing in submerged soil can capture NOs formed in the rhizosphere before it diffuses away and is denitrified in the soil bulk. The model allows for the following processes. 

Uptake of NH4+ and NO3 into the root are described by Michaelis-Menten relations with the parameter values discussed in Section 6.3. 

The calculations indicate that quite large amounts of NO3 may be absorbed by rice in flooded soils, perhaps as much as a third of the total N absorbed if soil conditions and water management prevent very thorough soil reduction. This may explain, for example, the benefit of the elaborate water management 

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