Bacterial endophytes and root hairs

The crucial role that root hairs play to increase root surface area, facilitating anchorage to substrates and enabling a large interface to absorb nutrients and water, has been long known (Peterson and Farquhar 1996). Root hairs are also critically involved in shaping the composition and properties of the rhizosphere (Datta et al.2011).Supported by grants P07-CVI-02624 (Proyecto de Excelencia, Junta de Andalucía, Spain) and AGL2009-07275 (Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación), both cofinanced by ERDF of the EU.Peer Reviewe