Microdialysis is emerging as a sensitive tool in environmental sciences, allowing for in situ sampling of solutes with minimal disturbance to soil environments. This perspective presents the theoretical foundations and practical applications of the technique with a focus on its use in soil, microbial and plant sciences. Using small probes (usually 0.5 mm diameter) fitted with permeable membranes, soil solutes are sampled, so that solute flux (and potentially concentration) can be calculated at root-relevant scales. However, physical and biological characteristics of soil systems impose challenges to sampling efficiencies with microdialysis, particularly where solute concentrations are low. Experimental parameters such as perfusate flow rates, probe design and sampling times can also influence the findings, and reduce the comparability between studies. We explore how equipment setup and experimental conditions can be optimised for soil environments, and how standardisation and calibration techniques may improve cross-study comparability. We show that the technique's strength lies in the ability to integrate many soil factors into a biologically relevant measure of solute availability. Microdialysis has so far provided new insight regarding the bioavailability of soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), where fluxes have been related to root uptake rates and gaseous fluxes from soil. The technique has also been used as a root simulator, mimicking exudation of organic acids to mobilise soil P, and to measure the potential contribution of transpiration-induced mass flow on N availability at the root surface. With further development, and paired with sensitive analytical methods and equipment, microdialysis has much potential to explore fragile and dynamic soil processes in biologically-active zones such as the rhizosphere, and could contribute to solving challenges relating to under- and oversupply of nutrients to plants. We conclude that, with further advancements and critical evaluation, microdialysis could become an important instrument in the soil analysis toolkit.

微透析正在成为环境科学中的一种敏感工具，可以进行原位分析对土壤环境的干扰最小的溶质采样。该观点介绍了该技术的理论基础和实际应用，重点是其在土壤，微生物和植物科学中的应用。使用装有渗透膜的小探针（通常直径为0.5 mm），对土壤溶质进行采样，以便可以在与根相关的尺度上计算溶质通量（和潜在的浓度）。但是，土壤系统的物理和生物学特性对微透析的采样效率提出了挑战，特别是在溶质浓度较低的情况下。灌注液流速，探头设计和采样时间等实验参数也会影响结果，并降低研究之间的可比性。我们探索如何针对土壤环境优化设备设置和实验条件，以及标准化和校准技术如何改善跨研究的可比性。我们表明，该技术的优势在于能够将许多土壤因素整合到生物学上相关的溶质可用性度量中。迄今为止，微透析已经为土壤氮（N）和磷（P）的生物利用度提供了新的见识，其中通量与根吸收率和土壤中的气态通量有关。该技术也已被用作根模拟器，模拟有机酸的渗出以动员土壤P，并测量蒸腾作用引起的质量流对根表面氮素利用的潜在贡献。随着进一步的发展，并结合灵敏的分析方法和设备，微透析在探索生物活性区（如根际区）中脆弱而动态的土壤过程方面具有巨大潜力，并可能有助于解决与养分供不应求有关的挑战。我们得出结论，随着进一步的发展和严格的评估，微透析可能会成为土壤分析工具包中的重要工具。