Physical, chemical, and biological factors of soil may reduce damage caused by plant-parasitic nematodes. Suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes is particularly challenging in soils in which there are short crop sequences, sequential susceptible host crops, or infestations of multiple nematode species. In southern Indiana, a watermelon production system involving rotations with soybean and co...

BACKGROUND Biological invasions are fundamentally biogeographic processes that occur over large spatial scales. Interactions with soil microbes can have strong impacts on plant invasions, but how these interactions vary among areas where introduced species are highly invasive vs. naturalized is still unknown. In this study, we examined biogeographic variation in plant-soil microbe interactions ...

The rhizosphere is a densely populated area in which plant roots must compete with invading root systems of neighboring plants for space, water, and mineral nutrients, and with other soil-borne organisms, including bacteria and fungi. Root-root and root-microbe communications are continuous occurrences in this biologically active soil zone. How do roots manage to simultaneously communicate with...

○ Background Production of organic ginger Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Japanese variety, is subject to serious economic loss from several soil borne pests. The plant parasitic root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita is a persistent pest for ginger production in soils worldwide. Pathogenic bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum, which causes “bacterial wilt” of ginger, has become a serious threat...

In the presence of a warmer climate, increase comparative abundance fungal plant pathogens. Many most aggressive pathogens are soil-borne fungi. Alternaria species threaten food security as chemical fungicides currently used against them mostly ineffective because acquired resistance to active compounds. Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis extracts, obtai...

Fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables are increasingly linked to food-borne illnesses, outbreaks and recalls. The trend represents a modern-day public health conundrum wherein consumers are encouraged to eat more fresh produce to help prevent chronic health problems such as obesity and heart disease, but at the same time consumption of contaminated produce can lead to potentially life-threatening a...

Organic farming system and sustainable management of soil pathogens aim at reducing the use of agricultural chemicals in order to improve ecosystem health. Despite the essential role of microbial communities in agro-ecosystems, we still have limited understanding of the complex response of microbial diversity and composition to organic and conventional farming systems and to alternative methods...

Pathological interrelations of two soil-borne diseases in cucurbits (watermelon, oriental melon, shintosa and cucumber) caused by Fusarium isolates (FI) and the root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita were characterized by the fusarium disease severity index (DI), RKN gall index (GI) and eggmass index (EI) in inoculation tests using FI and RKN. Virulence of FI as determined by DI at 4 w...