Yun Gao
: 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.