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A surface mulch of crop residues enhances suppressiveness to plant-parasitic nematodes in sugarcane soils

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Stirling, G. R., Halpin, N. V. and Bell, M. J. (2011) A surface mulch of crop residues enhances suppressiveness to plant-parasitic nematodes in sugarcane soils. Nematropica, 41 (1). pp. 109-121.

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Article Link: http://journals.fcla.edu/nematropica/article/viewF...

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Abstract

Most Australian sugarcane crops are harvested green, with the crop residues left behind after harvest remaining on the soil surface as mulch, a process known as green cane trash blanketing. Sampling in trash-blanketed sugarcane fields showed that roots were present to a depth of 150 cm, but that more than 90% of the root biomass was in the upper 30 cm of the soil profile. Many of these roots were concentrated in a layer just below the trash blanket and they were unusually healthy, presumably because population densities of Pratylenchus zeae/g root were 5-16 times lower than in roots a few cm further down the profile. Results of a microcosm experiment indicated that mulching soil with sugarcane residue increased soil C, microbial activity and numbers of free-living nematodes, and enhanced suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica and P. zeae to a greater extent than incorporating the residue into soil. It is hypothesized that roots immediately beneath the trash blanket remain healthy because C inputs from root exudates and organic matter on the soil surface sustain a soil food web capable of suppressing root pathogens, including plant-parasitic nematodes.

Item Type:Article
Keywords:biological control, mulch, Meloidogyne javanica, organic amendments, plant-parasitic nematodes, Pratylenchus zeae, root distribution, sugarcane, suppression, trash blanket
Subjects:Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Soils. Soil science > Soil and crops. Soil-plant relationships. Soil productivity
Plant culture > Field crops > Sugar plants
Plant pests and diseases > Pest control and treatment of diseases. Plant protection
Live Archive:04 Apr 2019 00:06
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:45

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