Abstract
Background and aims
Most plant-soil feedback and inoculation studies are limited to one growth cycle. We examined the effects of inoculation with eight plant-conditioned soils on chrysanthemum during two sequential growth cycles. The plants were also exposed sequentially to soil diseases.
Methods
In cycle 1, plants were grown in sterile soil inoculated or not with plant-conditioned soils, and exposed or not to Pythium or root feeding nematodes. In cycle 2, new plants were grown in soil from cycle 1 or in new 100% sterile soil. Plants were exposed again to Pythium, or to soil with pathogens and nematodes collected from a commercial chrysanthemum greenhouse.
Results
After two cycles, effects of soil inoculation on plant growth were still present. Chrysanthemum exhibited a negative conspecific feedback response, but this was less strong in inoculated soils. Pythium or nematode addition did not affect plant growth. However, addition of pathogen-containing soil from the commercial greenhouse reduced plant growth in sterile soil but increased growth in plant-conditioned soils.
Conclusions
Inoculation with plant-conditioned soil can reduce the negative conspecific plant-soil feedback of chrysanthemum. Our study further advances our understanding of the temporal dynamics of conspecific and heterospecific plant-soil feedbacks, and how they interact with soil-borne diseases.
Most plant-soil feedback and inoculation studies are limited to one growth cycle. We examined the effects of inoculation with eight plant-conditioned soils on chrysanthemum during two sequential growth cycles. The plants were also exposed sequentially to soil diseases.
Methods
In cycle 1, plants were grown in sterile soil inoculated or not with plant-conditioned soils, and exposed or not to Pythium or root feeding nematodes. In cycle 2, new plants were grown in soil from cycle 1 or in new 100% sterile soil. Plants were exposed again to Pythium, or to soil with pathogens and nematodes collected from a commercial chrysanthemum greenhouse.
Results
After two cycles, effects of soil inoculation on plant growth were still present. Chrysanthemum exhibited a negative conspecific feedback response, but this was less strong in inoculated soils. Pythium or nematode addition did not affect plant growth. However, addition of pathogen-containing soil from the commercial greenhouse reduced plant growth in sterile soil but increased growth in plant-conditioned soils.
Conclusions
Inoculation with plant-conditioned soil can reduce the negative conspecific plant-soil feedback of chrysanthemum. Our study further advances our understanding of the temporal dynamics of conspecific and heterospecific plant-soil feedbacks, and how they interact with soil-borne diseases.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 257-270 |
| Journal | Plant and Soil |
| Volume | 433 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| Early online date | 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Keywords
- national