Niche-specification of aerobic 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid biodegradation by -carrying bacteria in the rice paddy ecosystem.

This study aimed for a better understanding of the niche specification of bacteria carrying the -genes for aerobic 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) degradation in the rice paddy ecosystem. To achieve this, a dedicated microcosm experiment was set up to mimic the rice paddy system, with and without 2,4-D addition, allowing spatial sampling of the different rice paddy compartments and niches, i.e.