Abstract
Stages of oat–vetch cover crop decomposition were characterized over time in terms of carbon and nitrogen cycling, microbial activity and damping-off pathogen dynamics in organically and conventionally managed soils in a field and a controlled incubation experiment. A measurement of relative growth consisting of radial growth of a fungal colony over non-sterilized soil divided by that over sterilized soil was used as an assay of suppressiveness. No differences in relative growth of Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizoctonia solani were detected between organic and conventionally managed soils amended with cover crop residue. Significant effects of cover crop decomposition stage on the relative growth of both pathogens were obtained. Relative growth of P. aphanidermatum was highest just after incorporation and decreased 3 weeks after incorporation. Relative growth of R. solani was highest about 20 days after incorporation, and decreased 2 weeks later in the organic system, but continued to increase in the conventional system. In both experiments, the N or C content, C:N ratio or dry weight of retrieved debris were significantly correlated with relative growth of P. aphanidermatum. Relative growth of R. solani was significantly correlated with the C:N ratio of soil or the C or N content of debris. Microbial activity was not consistently associated with relative growth of either pathogen.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson T-H and Domsch KH (1989) Ratios of microbial carbon to total organic carbon in arable soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 21: 471–479
Beare MH, Parmelee RW, Hendrix PF and Cheng W (1992) Microbial and faunal interactions and effects on litter nitrogen and decomposition in agroecosystems. Ecological Monographs 62: 569–591
Bloem J, Bolhuis PR, Veninga MR and Wieringa J (1995) Microscopic methods for counting bacteria and fungi in soil. In: Alef K and Nannipieri P (eds) Methods in Applied Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry. Academic Press, New York
Boehm MJ and Hoitink HAJ (1992) Sustenance of microbial activity in potting mixes and its impact on severity of Pythium root rot of poinsettia. Phytopathology 82: 259–264
Boehm MJ, Madden LV and Hoitink HAJ (1993) Effect of organic matter decomposition level on bacterial species diversity and composition in relationship to Pythium damping-off severity. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 59: 4171–4179
Bouhot D (1981) Induction d'une resistance biologique aux Pythium dans les sols par l'apport d'une matiè re organique. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 13: 269–274
Chen W, Hoitink HAJ, Schmitthenner AF and Tuovinen OH (1988) The role of microbial activity in suppression of damping-off caused by Pythium ultimum. Phytopathology 78: 314–322
Chung YR (1988) Suppression of Rhizoctonia solani and its interaction with Trichoderma hamatum in bark compost media. Ph.D. Dissertation, Ohio State University, USA
Chung YR and Hoitink HAJ (1990) Interactions between thermophilic fungi and Trichoderma hamatum in suppression of rhizoctonia damping-off in a bark compost-amended container media. Phytopathology 80: 73–77
Chung YR, Hoitink HAJ and Lipps PE (1988) Interactions between organic-matter decomposition level and soilborne disease severity. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 24: 183–193
Colinas C, Ingham E and Molina R (1994) Population responses of target and non-target forest soil organisms to selected biocides. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 26: 41–47
Doran JW, Fraser DG, Culik MN and Liebhardt WC (1988) Influence of alternative and conventional agricultural management on soil microbial processes and nitrogen availability. J Alternative Agriculture 2: 99–106
El Titi A and Richter J (1987) Integrierter Pflanzenschutz im Ackerbau: Das Lautenbach Projekt. III. Schädlinge und Krankheiten 1979-1983. Zeitschrift f¨ur Pflanzenkrankheiten und Pflanzenschutz 94: 1–13
Gilpatrick JD (1969) Effect of soil amendments upon inoculum survival and function in Phytophthora root rot of avocado. Phytopathology 59: 979–985
Grünwald NJ, Workneh F, Hu S and van Bruggen AHC (1997) Comparison of an in vitro and a damping-off assay to test soils for suppressiveness to Pythium aphanidermatum. European Journal of Plant Pathology 103: 55–63
Gunapala N (1994) Soil microbial dynamics and nitrogen availability in organic, low input and conventional cropping systems. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California at Davis, USA
Gunapala N and Scow KM (1998) Dynamics of soil microbial biomass and activity in conventional and organic farming systems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 30: 805–816
Hassink J, Lebbink G and van Veen JA (1991) Microbial biomass and activity of a reclaimed-polder soil under a conventional or a reduced-input farming system. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 23: 507–513
Hoitink HAJ and Fahy PC (1986) Basis for the control of soilborne plant pathogens with composts. Annual Review of Phytopathology 24: 93–114
Hoitink HAJ, Inbar Y and Boehm MJ (1991) Status of compostamended potting mixes naturally suppressive to soilborne diseases of floricultural crops. Plant Disease 75: 869–873
Hu S, Grünwald NJ, van Bruggen AHC, Gamble GR, Drinkwater LE, Shennan C, Demment MW (1997) Short-term effects of cover crop incorporation on soil carbon pools and nitrogen dynamics. Soil Science Society of America Journal 61: 901–911
Huber DM and Watson RD (1970) Effects of organic amendments on soil-borne plant pathogens. Phytopathology 60: 22–26
Inbar Y, Chen Y, Hadar Y and Hoitink HAJ (1990) New approaches to compost maturity. Biocycle 31: 64–69
Ingham ER, Griffiths RP, Cromack K and Entry JA (1991) Comparison of direct vs fumigation incubation microbial biomass estimates from ectomycorrhizal mat and non-mat soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 23: 465–471
Ingham ER and Klein DA(1984) Soil fungi: relationship between hyphal activity and staining with fluorescein diacetate. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 16: 273–278
Koenig RT and Cochran VL (1994) Decomposition and nitrogen mineralization from legume and non-legume crop residues in a subartic agricultural soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils 17: 269–275
Lewis JA and Papavizas GC (1975) Survival and multiplication of soil-borne plant pathogens as affected by plant tissue amendments. In: Bruehl GW (ed) Biology and Control of Soil-borne Plant Pathogens (pp 84–99) American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN
Lewis JA and Papavizas GC (1977) Effect of plant residue on chlamydospore germination of Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli on Fusarium root rot of beans. Phytopathology 67: 925–929
Lockeretz W, Shearer G and Kohl DH (1981) Organic farming in the corn belt. Science 211: 540-546
Lumsden RD, García-ER, Lewis JA, and Frías-TGA (1990) Reduction of damping-off disease in soils from indigenous mexican agroecosystems. In: Gliessman SR (ed) Agroecology. Researching the Ecological Basis for Sustainable Agriculture (pp 83–103) Springer-Verlag, New York, USA
Lumsden RD, Lewis JA and Papavizas GC (1983) Effect of organic amendments on soilborne plant diseases and pathogen antagonists. In: Lockeretz W (ed) Environmentally Sound Agriculture (pp 51–70) Praeger Scientific, New York
Lundgren B (1981) Fluorescein diacetate as a stain of metabolically active bacteria in soil. Oikos 36: 17–22
Malajczuk N (1996) Microbial antagonism to Phytophthora. In: Erwin DC, Bartnicki-Garcia S, and Tsao PH (eds) Phytophthora: Its Biology, Taxonomy, Ecology, and Pathology (pp 197–218) American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN
Medzon EL and Brady ML (1969) Direct measurement of acetylesterase in living protist cells. Journal of Bacteriology 97: 402–415
Papavizas GC, Lewis JA and Adams PB (1968) Survival of rootinfecting fungi in soil. II. Influence of amendment and soil carbon-to-nitrogen balance on Fusarium root rot of beans. Phytopathology 58: 365–372
Patrick ZA, Tousson TA and Snyder WC (1963) Phytotoxic substances in arable soils associated with decomposition of plant residues. Phytopathology 53: 152–161
Phillips DJ, Watson AG, Weinhold AR and Snyder WC (1971) Damage of lettuce seedlings related to crop residue decomposition. Plant Disease Reporter 55: 837–841
Piorr H-P and Hindorf H (1986) The implication for plant diseases and pests during the conversion from conventional to biological agriculture. In: Vogtman H, Boehncke E and Fricke I (eds) The importance of biological agriculture in a world of diminishing resources (pp 421–435) Verlagsgruppe Witzenhausen, Witzenhausen
Powlson DS, Brookes PC and Christensen BT (1987) Measurement of soil microbial biomass provides an early indication of changes in total soil organic matter due to straw incorporation. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 19: 159–164
Reganold JP, Elliot LF and Unger YL (1987) Long-term effects of organic and conventional farming on soil erosion. Nature 330: 370–372
Rouse DI and Baker R (1978) Modeling and quantitative analysis of biological control mechanisms. Phytopathology 68: 1297–1302
SAS Institute (1988) SAS/STAT User's Guide. Release 6.03 edition. Sas Institute Inc. Cary, NC
Schnürer J and Rosswall T (1982) Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis as a measure of total microbial activity in soil and litter. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 43: 1256–1261
Shennan C (1992) Cover crops, nitrogen cycling, and soil properties in semi-irrigated vegetable production systems. Horticultural Science 27: 749–754
Snyder WC, Schroth MN and Christou T (1959) Effect of plant residues on root rot of bean. Phytopathology 49: 755–756
Söderström BE (1977) Vital staining of fungi in pure cultures and in soil with fluorescein diacetate. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 9: 59–63
Stivers LJ and Shennan C (1991) Meeting the nitrogen needs of processing tomatoes through winter cover cropping. Journal of Production Agriculture 4: 330–335
Sugimoto EE, Hoitink HAJ and Tuovinen OH (1990) Oligotrophic pseudomonads in the rhizosphere: suppressiveness to Pythium damping-off of cucumber seedlings (Cucumis sativus L.). Biology and Fertility of Soils 9: 231–234
Temple SR, Somasco OA, Kirk M and Friedman D (1995) Conventional, low-input and organic farming systems compared. California Agriculture 48: 14–19
Weinhold AR (1977) Population of Rhizoctonia solani in agricultural soils determined by a screening procedure. Phytopathology 67: 566–569
Workneh F and van Bruggen AHC (1994) Suppression of corky root of tomatoes in organically managed soil associated with soil microbial activity and nitrogen status of soil and tomato tissue. Phytopathology 84: 688–694
Workneh F, van Bruggen AHC, Drinkwater LE and Shennan C (1993) Variables associated with corky root and Phytophthora root rot of tomatoes in organic and conventional farms. Phytopathology 83: 581–589
Zentmyer GA (1963) Biological control of Phytophthora root rot of avocado with alfalfa meal. Phytopathology 53: 1383–1387
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grünwald, N., Hu, S. & van Bruggen, A. Short-term Cover Crop Decomposition in Organic and Conventional Soils: Characterization of Soil C, N, Microbial and Plant Pathogen Dynamics. European Journal of Plant Pathology 106, 37–50 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008720731062
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008720731062