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A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Protection, Diseases, Pests and Weeds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2024) | Viewed by 16071

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Aocheng Cao

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Guest Editor

Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: soil-borne disease; chemical control; soil fumigation; control efficacy; crop yield; economic assessment

Dr. Dongdong Yan

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Guest Editor

Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: soil fumigation; soil nematode; soil microorganism; determination of soil quality; assessment of soil health

Dr. Wensheng Fang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: soil-borne disease; soil microbe; soil amelioration; soil fumigation; plant health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of protected agriculture and continuous cultivation of high-value crops, a large number of pathogenic fungi, bacteria and insect eggs accumulate in the soil. Soil-borne diseases such as fusarium wilt, root rot, bacterial wilt and root-knot nematodes occur frequently. Soil-borne diseases are becoming increasingly serious. Due to the high multiple cropping index, less fallow and crop rotation, soil-borne diseases are more serious in agricultural cultivation in some developing countries than in developed countries, resulting in a significant decline in crop yield and quality, which restricts the cultivation and sustainable development of protected cultivation. Irrational application of pesticides and fertilizers in the management of soil-borne diseases also leads to deterioration of soil quality. Scientific treatment of soil-borne diseases is an important approach to improve the quality of farmland.

This Special Issue welcomes original research papers, short communications and reviews focusing on the following topics: transmission and epidemics of soil-borne disease, diagnosis and identification of soil-borne diseases, pathogenesis of soil-borne diseases, chemical and biological control of soil-borne diseases, soil disinfection technologies, new products of soil fumigants, formulation and application methods for soil fumigants, mode of action of soil fumigants, environmental behavior of soil fumigants, ecological and environmental effects of soil fumigants, economic assessment of soil-borne disease management products and technologies.

Prof. Dr. Aocheng Cao
Dr. Dongdong Yan
Dr. Wensheng Fang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

soil-borne diseases
replant disease
Fusarium spp.
Ralstonia solanacearum
root-knot nematode
soil-borne virus
chemical control
control efficacy
pre-plant fumigation
soil fumigant
soil disinfestation technologies
biological control agent
horticultural crops
economic assessment

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1933 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Flame Sterilization on the Microorganisms in Continuously Cultivated Soil and the Yield and Quality of Tobacco Leaves

by Xueying Han, Liang Wang, Ruyan Li and Qingli Han

Agriculture 2024, 14(11), 1868; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14111868 - 23 Oct 2024

Viewed by 498

Abstract

Flame disinfection is a new technology that uses high temperatures to kill pathogens and control soil-borne diseases. In order to determine the feasibility of applying flame disinfection technology to flue-cured tobacco, a field experiment was conducted in Pianpo Village (test site I) and Lühuai Village (test site II), Luquan County, Yunnan Province. The effects of flame disinfection on soil-borne disease control, flue-cured tobacco growth agronomic traits, the tobacco yield and quality, and the soil microbial community in the flue-cured tobacco field were investigated. The results were as follows. (1) After flame disinfection, the control rates of the four main soil-borne diseases—black root rot, root rot, wilt, and root knot nematodes—were all over 70%. (2) Samples were taken from the experimental site of Pianpo Village at 0 and 114 days after disinfection (tobacco boom period) to study the effects of soil microbial communities by high-throughput sequencing. Compared with the control group, after 0 days of flame disinfection, the abundance of bacterial actinobacteria, Nocardia, Streptomyces, and fungal ascomycetes decreased, while the abundance of bacterial Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Arthrobacter, and mycospora increased. After 114 days of disinfection, the abundance of bacterial actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, chloromyces, and fungal ascomycetes decreased. The abundance of Mortierella was recovered, the abundance of Gibberella and Fusarium increased, and the abundance of Trichospora and Basidiomycetes decreased in both periods. (3) After flame disinfection treatment, the tobacco yield in the two experimental areas was increased by 50.80% and 54.70%, respectively, and the proportion of high-quality tobacco was also increased. In conclusion, flame disinfection before tobacco planting can improve the soil conditions, effectively control soil-borne tobacco diseases, and improve the quality and yield of tobacco leaves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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18 pages, 3517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevention and Control of Ginger Blast by Two Fumigants and Their Effects on a Soil Bacterial Community and the Metabolic Components of Ginger

by Liyan Liao, Liqing Ge, Xiahong He, Tao Li, Bin Huang, Hanxi Zhao, Chaolian Li and Qingli Han

Agriculture 2024, 14(9), 1439; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14091439 - 24 Aug 2024

Viewed by 791

Abstract

A two-year field trial was conducted in order to assess techniques to control ginger blast and explore the effects of fumigants on soil bacterial microorganisms and ginger metabolites. This study examined the effects of dazomet and chloropicrin on the control of ginger blast and their influence on ginger yield in Luoping County, Yunnan Province, China. The results showed that in 2022, the control effectiveness of dazomet and chloropicrin treatments on ginger blast was 84.33% and 94.67%, respectively. The corresponding yields were 50,154.40 kg/hm² and 50,296.90 kg/hm². In 2023, the control effectiveness of dazomet and chloropicrin treatments on ginger blast were 86.33% and 93.67%, respectively, and the yields were 65,115.83 kg/hm² and 65,337.93 kg/hm². In both years, the incidence of ginger blast in the control group reached nearly 100%, leading to the near extinction of the crop. Additionally, in 2023, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics techniques were used to analyze the effects of the fumigants on soil bacterial microorganisms and the metabolites in ginger. The results showed that the diversity and richness of soil bacterial communities were lower than those in the control group at 0 and 120 days after treatment with two fumigants, but the relative abundances of beneficial bacteria such as Pseudomonas increased at 60 days, and the relative abundances of Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Bacillus increased at 120 days. The abundance of Firmicutes also increased after 120 days of chloropicrin treatment. The non-targeted metabolic LC–MS results showed that the production of phenols and terpenoids was upregulated after dazomet and chloropicrin treatments. The contents of amino acids and their derivatives were also upregulated. This upregulation of metabolites was beneficial to the flavor quality of ginger and enhanced its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, and antioxidant effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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19 pages, 3947 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Analysis of Microbial Communities in the Rhizosphere Soil and Plant Roots of Healthy and Diseased Yuanyang Nanqi (Panax vietnamensis) with Root Rot

by Changyuan Chen, Yifan Cheng, Fangli Zhang, Saiying Yu, Xiuming Cui and Yuanshuang Wu

Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050719 - 1 May 2024

Viewed by 1205

Abstract

Microbial communities are not only an important indicator of soil status but also a determinant of plant nutrition and health levels. Loss of microbial community ecosystem control can directly lead to microbial disease occurrence. During the process of Yuanyang Nanqi wild imitation planting, root rot diseases frequently occur, seriously affecting their yield and quality. Via amplicon sequencing, this study mainly compared the microbial community composition between the rhizosphere soil and roots of healthy and diseased Yuanyang Nanqi with root rot. The α-diversity showed that the microbial community diversity and abundance in the roots of diseased Yuanyang Nanqi were much lower than those of those in healthy specimens, while no significant difference was found in the rhizosphere soil. The β-diversity showed that the bacterial community in the Gejiu region and the fungal community in the Honghe region were significantly different from those in other regions. The species relative abundance map showed that there was no obvious difference in microbial community composition between the rhizosphere soil and roots of healthy and diseased Nanqi, but in diseased specimens with root rot, the proportions of Pseudomonas and Fusarium increased. Based on a functional prediction analysis of FUNGuild, the results showed that the Nanqi roots were mainly pathological saprophytic type and that their rhizosphere soil was mainly saprophytic type. The microorganisms in the roots of Yuanyang Nanqi tubers with root rot were also isolated and identified through the use of the culture method. The possible pathogenic strains were tested via anti-inoculation, and Fusarium oxysporum was identified as one of the main pathogenic fungi of Nanqi root rot, which was consistent with the amplicon sequencing results. These results will help us understand the change trend of microbial communities in healthy and diseased plants and analyze the pathogens involved, the pathogenesis, and the beneficial microorganisms, which would provide a theoretical basis for effective biological control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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15 pages, 2047 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plastic Mulching Effects on Cotton Seedling and Wilt Disease, Lint Yields, and Yield Components

by Xingmei You, Jingru Zhang, Yannan Xue, Ruikai Zhang, Siwen Zhang, Chuanwang Li and Xiaoming Xia

Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030401 - 1 Mar 2024

Viewed by 1116

Abstract

Plastic mulching is a widely used intensive planting system for cotton production in China. For the present study, the effects of three plastic mulching treatments (i.e., NDNM: normal sowing date with no plastic mulching as a positive control, NDM: normal sowing date with plastic mulching, and LDM: sowing 7 days late with plastic mulching) were studied in the field on seedling disease, Verticillium wilt, and Fusarium wilt as well as on the lint yield in cotton from 2019 to 2020. The treatment effects were evaluated based on the disease incidence (DI) and disease severity index (DSI), seedling fresh weights, lint yields, and yield components. For all cultivars (SCRC28, SCRC21, and Jimian11), both the DIs and DSIs of the seedling disease were lower in the LDM treatment than in the NDNM and NDM treatments. The DIs and DSIs of Fusarium wilt for all the cultivars were higher in the NDNM treatment than in the NDM and LDM treatments. However, the DIs and DSIs for Verticillium wilt were lower in the NDNM treatment. Moreover, the seedling fresh weights, average lint yields, and boll numbers per square meter were all highest in the NDM treatment and lowest in the NDNM treatment. The results of this study demonstrated that the use of plastic mulching with a suitable seed sowing date would be an appropriate cultural practice for enhancing cotton production and reducing the severity of cotton seedling and Fusarium wilt disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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16 pages, 1827 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Strawberry Fruit Yield, Soil Chemical and Microbial Properties to Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation with Biochar and Rice Bran

by Zhaoxin Song, Dongdong Yan, Wensheng Fang, Daqi Zhang, Xi Jin, Yuan Li, Qiuxia Wang, Guirong Wang, Qingjie Li and Aocheng Cao

Agriculture 2023, 13(7), 1466; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13071466 - 24 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2353

Abstract

Organic materials added to soil create anaerobic conditions that can reduce soil-borne pathogens that reduce the yield and quality of agricultural crops. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) requires relatively large quantities of readily available, inexpensive organic materials. We evaluated the impact of ASD with rice bran and biochar organic materials on changes to the soil’s physicochemical properties, microbial taxa, and strawberry fruit yield. We found that the organic materials applied at different dose rates significantly increased the control effect of the soil Fusarium spp. and Phytophthora spp. to 69–99% and 63–98%, respectively. In addition, ASD significantly increased soil organic matter and ammonium nitrogen contents. Strawberry yield also increased significantly after ASD treatment with biochar applied at 10 t/ha, which was positively correlated with increased soil nutrients and a significant reduction in pathogens. High-throughput gene sequencing showed that ASD significantly increased the abundance of some beneficial microorganisms such as Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Mortierella, possibly due to changes in the soil’s physicochemical properties that favored their survival. We found for the first time that biochar applied at 10 t/ha could create anaerobic conditions that effectively reduced soil-borne pathogens and increased crop yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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10 pages, 2208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Survival Dynamics of Trichoderma longibrachiatum Tr58 in Conidia- and Chlamydospore-Amended Soils with Different Moisture Levels

by Qiulin Cao, Yao Liang, Ying Tian, Hua Lian, Xiliang Jiang and Mei Li

Agriculture 2023, 13(2), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13020238 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2245

Abstract

Two types of Trichoderma longibrachiatum Tr58 propagules, conidia and chlamydospores, were added to soils with different moisture levels. The survival dynamics of Tr58 in soils were determined. There are positive linear relationships between soil moisture levels and germination rates of the two propagules. In natural non-sterilized soil, the germination of more than 95% conidia and 60% chlamydospores was inhibited, while a high soil moisture content and sterilization were beneficial to spore germination. The inhibitory effect of soil with 80% moisture content on the germination of chlamydospores was almost completely eliminated after sterilization. Twelve months after the conidia inoculated to the natural soil, the Tr58 propagules decreased continuously, which was hastened in soils with lower moisture content and almost near zero 24 months later, in all soils. In chlamydospore-amended soils, the Tr58 propagules generally showed a dynamic process of decreasing in the first month, increasing in the 2nd month, and then decreasing gradually. The average Tr58 content in chlamydospore-amended soils with 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80% moisture content was 19.2 times that of conidia-amended soils at 12 months. At 24 months, the Tr58 content was about 2.2% of the initial Tr58 content and 114 times that of conidia in soils with 20% moisture content. However, for 80% moisture content, the Tr58 content in soil was 0.0038% of the initial content of Tr58. According to the results of this study, 10–20% soil moisture content was the most favorable for the long-term survival of Tr58, and the survival ability of chlamydospores was stronger than that of conidia and had greater application potential in disease control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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13 pages, 3302 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Uniform Root Layer Application at Optimal Timing Can Effectively Improve Root-Knot Nematode Disease Control in Rui Yam

by Rong Zeng, Wensheng Fang, Xinshen Li, Shuijin Huang, Xi Wang, Qingyou Zhou, Qiuxia Wang, Aocheng Cao, Yang Sun and Juling Hua

Agriculture 2022, 12(12), 2031; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12122031 - 28 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1869

Abstract

Root-knot nematode disease seriously threatens the production of Rui yams, making it important to explore effective management strategies, including the optimal time for disease control and efficient application techniques. In this study, we monitored the dynamics of a root-knot nematode J2 population in the soil using field sampling; moreover, we investigated the dynamics of root-knot nematode disease using a field sampling and visual in situ device based on identifying species of root-knot nematodes in Rui yams. Additionally, experiments pertaining to optimal application time and techniques were conducted in Ruichang and Nanchang. This is the first study to propose that chemical control should be optimally timed, with one application administered at the time of yam seedling flush, and another given approximately 60 days later. Applications of a 41.7% fluopyram suspension (1426 g.a.i./hm²) and a 30% fosthiazate microencapsulated suspension (2925 g.a.i./hm²) achieved disease control effects of 81.56–83.15% and 75.95–78.42%, respectively. Additionally, the comparative analysis demonstrated that using uniform root layer application technology at the optimal time produces a control effect exceeding 80%, which is significantly higher than conventional techniques such as drip irrigation and root irrigation. These results provide theoretical and technical support for the efficient control of root-knot nematode disease in Rui yams. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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15 pages, 2048 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Appropriate Particle Size of Dazomet Can Ensure the Soil Fumigation Effect from the Source

by Daqi Zhang, Lirui Ren, Wenjing Li, Qing Wang, Shenyan Liu, Xi Jin, Wensheng Fang, Dongdong Yan, Yuan Li, Qiuxia Wang, Qingli Han, Lin He and Aocheng Cao

Agriculture 2022, 12(11), 1832; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12111832 - 2 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1704

Abstract

Dazomet (DZ) is a soil fumigant that has been used for decades at many countries, however it was reported to have caused phytotoxicity and reduced crop yield in many countries. In this experiment, in order to clarify whether the diameter of DZ is related to phytotoxicity, this research investigated the degradation rate of DZ with different diameter ranges under three soil types held at 15, 20 or 30% soil water content at 4, 15, 25 or 37 °C, and monitored concentrations of methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) produced when Shunyi soil was fumigated with DZ using the different particle sizes ranges. When the soil water content and temperature increased, the degradation rate of DZ with different particle sizes accelerated. However, the degradation rate of DZ with large particle sizes was still lower than small particle sizes. NO₃⁻-N, available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), pH and silt content in the soil were all significantly positively correlated with <100 μm DZ, and significantly negatively correlated with 300–400 μm and >400 μm DZ. However, organic matter (OM) and sand content produced the opposite result. The maximum concentration of MITC produced by 100–300 μm of DZ in 25 °C Shunyi soil at 30% water content were 102.2 mg/kg at 24 h. DZ produced peaks significantly higher and earlier at 30% than at 20% soil water content. We recommend selecting DZ manufactured with particle in the range of 100 to 300 μm, fumigating at about 25 °C and ensuring that about 30% soil water content is present in the soil immediately after fumigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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11 pages, 1203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Granule Size Ranges on Dazomet Degradation and Its Persistence with Different Environmental Factors

by Lirui Ren, Wenjing Li, Qingjie Li, Daqi Zhang, Wensheng Fang, Yuan Li, Qiuxia Wang, Xi Jin, Dongdong Yan and Aocheng Cao

Agriculture 2022, 12(5), 674; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050674 - 9 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1936

Abstract

Pesticides are considered the most effective way to protect crops. However, irrational use has caused resources waste and environmental pollution. Dazomet (DZ) is a soil fumigant that has been used in many countries for decades, although it has caused occasional crop damage or insufficient control efficacy in some circumstances. In this study, the effects of DZ’s granule size and exposure to various environmental conditions on DZ degradation when used as a fumigant were demonstrated. The degradation rate of DZ was closely related to granule size. The half-life of larger DZ granules was longer than smaller granules with all studied environmental factors. The degradation rate decreased as the DZ usage (90–360 mg/kg) increased and different granule sizes showed the same variation trend. The half-life in each of the five granule size ranges tested decreased significantly as the temperature increased. DZ half-life decreased by 4.67–6.59 times as the temperature increased from 4 to 35 °C. Moreover, DZ usage and temperature affected the half-life of granules >400 and 300–400 μm in diameter significantly more than <100 μm granules. The half-life of all DZ granule sizes was reduced by 13.9–47.4% in alkaline compared to acidic conditions (pH from 9 to 5). Moreover, elevated temperatures could not only promote the production of methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) but accelerate its dissipation. The interactions between DZ granule size, dosage, temperature, and pH provide practical guidance on methods to improve DZ’s efficacy against pests and reduce the risk of phytotoxicity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Management of Soil-Borne Diseases)

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