Global climate change intensifies drought-flood abrupt alternation (DFAA), posing a significant threat to agricultural stability. The rhizosphere is the critical interface where plants actively mediate stress responses. This review systematically synthesizes research on rhizosphere interactions under DFAA, with a focus on the temporal dynamics between root exudates and microbial communities. We propose that crop systemic resistance to DFAA arises from a dynamic optimization of carbon resource allocation—a trade-off between growth, defense, and symbiosis—driven by shifts in energy metabolism pathways. The review first outlines the compounded stress effects of DFAA on crop-soil systems. Subsequently, it chronologically dissects the co-evolution of root exudate profiles and microbial functions across three phases: (1) Drought phase, where exudates like organic acids and amino acids recruit drought-resistant microbiomes (e.g., Bacillus, Pseudomonas); (2) Flood transition phase, where a metabolic switch to fermentation alters exudate composition, driving microbial community restructuring towards anaerobic respiration; and (3) Recovery phase, where the system rebuilds symbiotic relationships, with resilience contingent on prior carbon expenditure. Building on this, we introduce a multidimensional framework (temporal, spatial, organizational, and functional) to conceptualize the synergistic and trade-off dynamics within the plant-soil-microbe network under fluctuating stress. Current research predominantly focuses on single stresses, leaving a critical gap in understanding the temporal response patterns, key signaling metabolites, and regulatory networks during DFAA. Future research should integrate multi-omics, in-situ monitoring, and ecological modeling to decipher rhizosphere energy fluxes, identify core microbial functional groups, and develop targeted strategies for rhizosphere engineering to enhance crop resilience.
Yun Gao (Fri,) studied this question.