The RHIZOtest is a biological test in which plants are grown on soils in a controlled environment. It has been developed to assess the transfer of trace elements from soil to plant (phytoavailability).

The RHIZOtest principle is based on the root mat technique, where roots organized in the form of a root mat are placed in contact with soil without the roots being able to penetrate the soil. This technique enables easy rapid harvesting of the whole plant and the soil.

Development of the RHIZOtest was initiated by INRA and is currently being continued by CIRAD.

Talking about the RHIZOtest

• Laperche D 2009 R&D : Quelle valorisation pour les sols pollués ? Environnement & Technique, 283, 48-50.

• Bravin M, Doeslch E et Hinsinger P, 2010, Rhizosphere : a suitable scale for assessing the phytoavailability of trace elements? p. 22, in les dossiers d’Agropolis international : Agronomy – Crops and cropping systems, Wery J (coord.), n°12, 67 p. Les dossiers d’Agropolis

• De Vaufleury A et Bravin M, 2011, Outils d’évaluation de la biodisponibilité des contaminants dans les sols et apport en éRé. Synthèse de l’atelier n°2, Séminaire Ademe sur l’évaluation des risques pour les écosystèmes, 20 p. Atelier2_Biodispo

•  Le RHIZOtest : un nouveau biotest pour déterminer la phytodisponibilité des éléments traces en sols contaminés - Ademe