Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T06:54:07.824Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Performance evaluation of locally available composts to reduce replant disease in apple orchards of central Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2018

Ingrid H. Franke-Whittle
Affiliation:
Institut für Mikrobiologie, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Marina Fernández-Delgado Juárez
Affiliation:
Institut für Mikrobiologie, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Heribert Insam
Affiliation:
Institut für Mikrobiologie, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25d, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Simon Schweizer
Affiliation:
Agroscope, Institute for Plant Production Sciences (IPS), Wädenswil, Switzerland
Andreas Naef
Affiliation:
Agroscope, Institute for Plant Production Sciences (IPS), Wädenswil, Switzerland
Anne-Rosemarie Topp
Affiliation:
Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Foresty, Vadena, Ora (BZ), Italy
Markus Kelderer
Affiliation:
Laimburg Research Centre for Agriculture and Foresty, Vadena, Ora (BZ), Italy
Thomas Rühmer
Affiliation:
Landwirtschaftliches Versuchszentrum Graz-Haidegg, Austria
Gerhard Baab
Affiliation:
Rheinpfalz, Center of competence, Rheinbach, Germany
Joana Henfrey
Affiliation:
Rheinpfalz, Center of competence, Rheinbach, Germany
Luisa M. Manici*
Affiliation:
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment (CREA-AA), Bologna, Italy
*
Author for correspondence: Luisa M. Manici, E-mail: luisamaria.manici@crea.gov.it

Abstract

A study on locally available composts in Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland was conducted to investigate the potential of these non-chemical based tools to increase soil health in orchards afflicted by apple replant disease (ARD). A total of 26 different composts (six to seven per country) were chosen for the study. Composts were divided into ten types according to the waste materials used as substrates in the composting process. Growth reduction is the main symptom associated with replant disease; therefore compost performance was evaluated based on the growth responses of apple rootstock plantlets in compost-amended soils in pots. These greenhouse trials were performed in one research station per country, located in an intensive apple-growing area, and soil was taken from an apple orchard affected by replanting disease. Plant growth response was measured as shoot elongation at the end of each greenhouse trial, and results showed increases in growth compared with the respective controls of 2–26% in 20 out of 26 composts evaluated. The heterogeneous nature of the composts most likely attributed to the finding that similar compost types originating from the different countries had varying effects on plant growth. Overall, no significant changes in chemical and biological properties were observed in amended soils as compared with non-amended controls. The high soil resilience was in part expected given the good organic matter content in the original soils (>2%). The bacterial communities of the composts were investigated using the COMPOCHIP microarray, and analyses showed that differences in plant growth response were mainly attributed to the microbial changes introduced into the soil through composts rather than to changes in soil chemical and biological parameters. However, the bacterial communities of composts appeared to be more influenced by geographical origin than by compost type. The results have shown that soil amendment with composts generated from locally produced wastes have the potential to reduce the effects of ARD, although the effects appear to be both compost and soil specific.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akhter, A, Hage-Ahmed, K, Soja, G and Steinkellner, S (2015) Compost and biochar alter mycorrhization, tomato root exudation, and development of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Frontiers in Plant Science 6, 529.10.3389/fpls.2015.00529Google Scholar
Anderson, JPE and Domsch, KH (1978) A physiological method for the quantitative measurement of microbial biomass in soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 10, 215221.10.1016/0038-0717(78)90099-8Google Scholar
Bonilla, N, Gutiérrez-Barranquero, JA, de Vicente, A and Cazorla, FM (2012) Enhancing soil quality and plant health through suppressive organic amendments. Diversity 4, 475491.10.3390/d4040475Google Scholar
Braun, GP, Fuller, KD, McRae, K and Fillmore, SAE (2010) Response of ‘Honeycrisp®’ apple trees to combinations of pre-plant fumigation, deep ripping, and hog manure compost incorporation in a soil with replant disease. HortScience 45, 17021707.10.21273/HORTSCI.45.11.1702Google Scholar
Cayuela, ML, Mondini, C, Insam, H, Sinicco, T and Franke-Whittle, I (2009) Plant and animal wastes composting: effects of the N source on process performance. Bioresource Technology 100, 30973106.10.1016/j.biortech.2009.01.027Google Scholar
Chaoui, HE, Brickner, CA, Lee, SS and Arancon, NQ (2002) Suppression of the plant diseases, Pythium (damping-off), Rhizoctonia (root rot) and Verticillium (wilt) by vermicomposts, In The BCPC Conference: Pests and Diseases, Brighton, UK, pp. 711716.Google Scholar
Chen, M-H and Nelson, EB (2008) Seed-colonizing microbes from municipal biosolids compost suppress Pythium ultimum damping-off on different plant species. Phytopathology 98, 10121018.Google Scholar
Compant, S, Duffy, B, Nowak, J, Clément, C and Barka, EA (2005) Use of plant growth-promoting bacteria for biocontrol of plant diseases: principles, mechanisms of action, and future prospects. Applied Environmental Microbiology 71, 49514959.10.1128/AEM.71.9.4951-4959.2005Google Scholar
Danon, M, Franke-Whittle, IH, Insam, H, Chen, Y and Hadar, Y (2008) Molecular analysis of bacterial community succession during prolonged compost curing. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 65, 133144.10.1111/j.1574-6941.2008.00506.xGoogle Scholar
de Bertoldi, M (2010) Production and utilization of suppressive compost: environmental, food and health benefits. In Insam, H, Franke-whittle, I and Goberna, M (eds) Microbes at Work: From Wastes to Resources. Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 153170.10.1007/978-3-642-04043-6_8Google Scholar
Dees, PM and Ghiorse, WC (2001) Microbial diversity in hot synthetic compost as revealed by PCR-amplified rRNA sequences from cultivated isolates and extracted DNA. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 35, 207216.10.1111/j.1574-6941.2001.tb00805.xGoogle Scholar
Erhart, E, Burian, K, Hartl, W and Stich, K (1999) Suppression of Pythium ultimum by biowaste composts in relation to compost microbial biomass, activity and content of phenolic compounds. Journal of Phytopathology 147, 299305.10.1111/j.1439-0434.1999.tb03834.xGoogle Scholar
Farrell, M and Jones, DL (2009) Critical evaluation of municipal solid waste composting and potential compost markets Critical evaluation of municipal solid waste composting and potential compost markets. Bioresource Technology 100, 43014310.Google Scholar
Franke-Whittle, IH, Klammer, SH and Insam, H (2005) Design and application of an oligonucleotide microarray for the investigation of compost microbial communities. Journal of Microbial Methods 62, 3756.Google Scholar
Franke-Whittle, IH, Knapp, BA, Fuchs, J, Kaufmann, R and Insam, H (2009) Application of COMPOCHIP microarray to investigate the bacterial communities of different composts. Microbial Ecology 57, 510521.10.1007/s00248-008-9435-2Google Scholar
Franke-Whittle, IH, Confalonieri, A, Insam, H, Schlegelmilch, M and Korner, I (2014) Changes in the microbial communities during co-composting of digestates. Waste Management 34, 632641.10.1016/j.wasman.2013.12.009Google Scholar
Franke-Whittle, IH, Manici, LM, Insam, H and Stres, B (2015) Rhizosphere bacteria and fungi associated with plant growth in soils of three replanted apple orchards. Plant and Soil 395, 317333.Google Scholar
Githinji, L (2014) Effect of biochar application rate on soil physical and hydraulic properties of a sandy loam. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 60, 457470.Google Scholar
Hammer, Ø, Harper, DAT and Ryan, PD (2001) Past: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica 4, 9.Google Scholar
Hargreaves, JC, Adl, MS and Warman, PR (2008) A review of the use of composted municipal solid waste in agriculture. Agronomy Ecosystems and Environment 123, 114.Google Scholar
Haygarth, PM, Bartgett, RD and Candron, LM (2013) Nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and their management. Chapt 5. In Gregory, PJ and Northcliff, S (eds). Soil Condition and Plant Growth. Ames, Iowa, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 132155.10.1002/9781118337295.ch5Google Scholar
Heinemeyer, O, Insam, H, Kaiser, EA and Walenzik, G (1989) Soil microbial biomass and respiration measurements: An automated technique based on infra-red gas analysis. Plant and Soil 116, 191196.10.1007/BF02214547Google Scholar
Hoitink, H and Boehm, M (1999) Biocontrol within the contect of soil microbial communities: A substrate-dependent phenomenon. Annual Review of Phytopathology 37, 427446.10.1146/annurev.phyto.37.1.427Google Scholar
Hoitink, H, Stone, A and Han, D (1997) Suppression of plant diseases by composts. HortScience 32, 184187.10.21273/HORTSCI.32.2.184Google Scholar
Hunter, PJ, Petch, GM, Calvo-Bado, LA, Pettitt, TR, Parsons, NR, Morgan, JAW and Whipps, JM (2006) Differences in microbial activity and microbial populations of peat associated with suppression of damping-off disease caused by Pythium sylvaticum. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72, 64526460.10.1128/AEM.00313-06Google Scholar
Insam, H and Öhlinger, R (1996) Ecophysiological parameters. In Schinner, F, Öhlinger, R, Kandeler, E and Margesin, R (eds). Methods in Soil Biology. Germany: Springer, pp. 306309.10.1007/978-3-642-60966-4_20Google Scholar
Insam, H, Franke-Whittle, I and Goberna, M (2010) Microbes in aerobic and anaerobic treatment. In Insam, H (ed.) Microbes at Work: From Waste to Resources. Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin, pp. 134.10.1007/978-3-642-04043-6Google Scholar
Kampstra, P (2008) Beanplot: A Boxplot Alternative for Visual Comparison of Distributions. Journal of Statistical Software 28, Cod Snip 1. https://www.jstatsoft.org/article/view/v028c01/ (verified 5 January 2018).10.18637/jss.v028.c01Google Scholar
Kannangara, T, Utkhede, RS, Paul, JW and Punja, ZK (2000) Effects of mesophilic and thermophilic composts on suppression of Fusarium root and stem rot of greenhouse cucumber. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 46, 10211028.10.1139/w00-082Google Scholar
Kelderer, M, Manici, LM, Caputo, F and Thalheimer, M (2012) Planting in the ‘inter-row’ to overcome replant disease in apple orchards: A study on the effectiveness of the practice based on microbial indicators. Plant and Soil 357, 381393.10.1007/s11104-012-1172-0Google Scholar
LaMondia, JA, Gent, MPN, Ferrandino, FJ, Elmer, WH and Stoner, KA (1999) Effect of compost amendment or straw mulch on potato early dying disease. Plant Disease 83, 361366.10.1094/PDIS.1999.83.4.361Google Scholar
Lazarovits, G (2001) Management of soil-borne plant pathogens with organic soil amendments: a disease control strategy salvaged from the past. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 23, 17.Google Scholar
Leinfelder, MM and Merwin, IA (2006) Rootstock selection, preplant soil treatments, and tree planting positions as factors in managing apple replant disease. HortScience 41, 394401.10.21273/HORTSCI.41.2.394Google Scholar
Loveland, PWJ (2003) Is there a critical level of organic matter in the agricultural soils of temperate regions: A review. Soil and Tillage Research 70, 118.Google Scholar
Manici, LM, Ciavatta, C, Kelderer, M and Erschbaumer, G (2003) Replant problems in South Tyrol: role of fungal pathogens and microbial population in conventional and organic apple orchards. Plant and Soil 256, 315324.10.1023/A:1026103001592Google Scholar
Manici, LM, Caputo, F and Babini, V (2004) Effect of green manure on Pythium spp. population and microbial communities in intensive cropping systems. Plant and Soil 63, 133142.10.1023/B:PLSO.0000047720.40918.29Google Scholar
Manici, LM, Kelderer, M, Franke-Whittle, IH, Rühmer, T, Baab, G, Nicoletti, F, Caputo, F, Topp, A, Insam, H and Naef, A (2013) Relationship between root-endophytic microbial communities and replant disease in specialized apple growing areas in Europe. Applied Soil Ecology 72, 207214.10.1016/j.apsoil.2013.07.011Google Scholar
Mansoori, M, Heydari, A, Hassanzadeh, N, Rezaee, S and Naraghi, L (2013) Evaluation of Pseudomonas and Bacillus bacterial antagonists for biological control of cotton Verticillium wilt disease. Journal of Plant Protection Research 53, 54157.Google Scholar
Mazzola, M (1998) Elucidation of the microbial complex having a causal role in the development of apple replant disease in Washington. Phytopathology 88, 930938.Google Scholar
Mazzola, M (2010) Management of Resident Soil Microbial Community Structure and Function to Suppress Soilborne Disease Development. In Reynolds, M (ed.). UK: CABI Publishing, pp. 200218.Google Scholar
Mazzola, M and Gu, Y-H (2002) Wheat genotype-specific induction of soil microbial communities suppressive to disease incited by rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group (AG)-5 and AG-8. Phytopathology 92, 3001307.Google Scholar
Mazzola, M and Manici, LM (2012) Apple replant disease: role of microbial ecology in cause and control. Annual Review of Phytopathology 50, 4565.10.1146/annurev-phyto-081211-173005Google Scholar
MBTOC (2011) Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. 2010 Report of the Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee, 2010 Assessment. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Ozone Secretariat, Nairobi, Kenya March 2011 Available at http://www.mma.gov.br/estruturas/ozonio/_publicacao/130_publicacao19082011113643.pdf (verified 15 September 2017).Google Scholar
Mehta, CM, Palni, U, Franke-Whittle, IH and Sharma, AK (2014) Compost: Its role, mechanism and impact on reducing soil-borne plant diseases. Waste Management 34, 607622.10.1016/j.wasman.2013.11.012Google Scholar
Moran, RE and Schupp, JR (2003) Preplant monoammonium phosphate fertilizer and compost affects the growth of newly planted ‘Macoun’ apple trees. HortScience 38, 3235.Google Scholar
Noble, R and Coventry, E (2005) Suppression of soil-borne plant diseases with composts: A review. Biocontrol Science and Technology 15, 320.10.1080/09583150400015904Google Scholar
Ntougias, S, Papadopoulou, K, Zervakis, G, Kavroulakis, N and Ehaliotis, C (2008) Suppression of soil-borne pathogens of tomato by composts derived from agro-industrial wastes abundant in Mediterranean regions. Biology Fertility of Soils 44, 10811090.10.1007/s00374-008-0295-1Google Scholar
Pascual, JA, Garcia, C, Hernandez, T, Lerma, S and Lynch, JM (2002) Effectiveness of municipal waste compost and its humic fraction in suppressing Pythium ultimum. Microbial Ecology 5, 968.Google Scholar
Peck, GM, Merwin, IA, Thies, JE, Shindelbeck, RR and Brown, MG (2011) Soil properties change during the transition to integrated and organic apple production in a New York orchard. Applied Soil Ecology 48, 1830.10.1016/j.apsoil.2011.02.008Google Scholar
Pérez-Piqueres, A, Edel-Hermann, V, Alabouvette, C and Steinberg, C (2006) Response of soil microbial communities to compost amendments. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38, 460470.10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.05.025Google Scholar
Postma, J, Willemsen-De Klein, MJEIM and Van Elsas, JD (2000) Effect of the indigenous microflora on the development of root and crown rot caused by Pythium aphanidermatum in cucumber grown on rockwool. Phytopathology 90, 125133.10.1094/PHYTO.2000.90.2.125Google Scholar
Postma, L, Geraats, BPJ, Pastoor, R and van Elsas, JD (2005) Characterization of the microbial community involved in the suppression of Pythium aphanidermatum in cucumber grown on rockwool. Phytopathology 95, 808818.Google Scholar
Rivera, M and Wright, E (2009) Research on Vermicompost as Plant Growth Promoter and Disease Suppressive Substrate in Latin America, Dynamic Soil. Middlesex, UK: Global Science Books, Ltd.Google Scholar
Rumberger, A, Yao, SR, Merwin, IA, Nelson, EB and Thies, JE (2004) Rootstock genotype and orchard replant position rather than soil fumigation or compost amendment determine tree growth and rhizosphere bacterial community composition in an apple replant soil. Plant and Soil 264, 247260.Google Scholar
Shemekite, F, Gomez-Brandon, M, Franke-Whittle, IH, Praehauser, B, Insam, H and Assefa, F (2014) Coffee husk composting: an investigation of the process using molecular and non-molecular tools. Waste Management 34, 642652.10.1016/j.wasman.2013.11.010Google Scholar
Spath, M, Insam, H, Peintner, U, Kelderer, M, Kuhnert, R and Franke-Whittle, IH (2015) Linking soil biotic and abiotic factors to apple Replant disease: a greenhouse approach. Journal of Phytopathology 163, 287299.10.1111/jph.12318Google Scholar
Szczech, MM (1999) Suppressiveness of vermicompost against Fusarium wilt of tomato. Journal of Phytopathology 147, 155161.10.1111/j.1439-0434.1999.tb03822.xGoogle Scholar
ter Braak, C and Smilauer, P (2002) CANOCO reference manual and CanoDraw for Windows user's guide: software for canonical community ordination (version 4.5). Itaca: Microcomputer Power.Google Scholar
Termorshuizen, AJ, van Rijn, E, van der Gaag, DJ, Alabouvette, C, Chen, Y, Lagerlöf, J, Malandrakis, AA, Paplomatas, EJ, Rämert, B, Ryckeboer, J, Steinberg, C and Zmora-Nahum, S (2006) Suppressiveness of 18 composts against 7 pathosystems: variability in pathogen response. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38, 24612477.10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.03.002Google Scholar
Uzun, I (2004) Use of spent mushroom compost in sustainable fruit production. Journal of Fruit and Ornamental Plant Research. Special ed. Special management of sustainable fruit production 12, 157165.Google Scholar
van Schoor, L, Denman, S and Cook, NC (2009) Characterisation of apple replant disease under South African conditions and potential biological management strategies. Scientiae Horticulturae 119, 153162.Google Scholar
Wilson, S, Andrews, P and Nair, TS (2004) Non-fumigant management of apple replant disease. Scientiae Horticolturae 102, 221231.10.1016/j.scienta.2004.01.001Google Scholar
Yao, S, Merwin, IA, Abawi, GS and Thies, JE (2006) Soil fumigation and compost amendment alter soil microbial community composition but do not improve tree growth or yield in an apple replant site. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38, 587599.10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.06.026Google Scholar
Zhang, X, Huang, Y, Harvey, PR, Ren, Y, Zhang, G, Zhou, H and Yang, H (2012) Enhancing plant disease suppression by Burkholderia vietnamiensis through chromosomal integration of Bacillus subtilis chitinase gene chi113. Biotechnology Letters 34, 287293.10.1007/s10529-011-0760-zGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Franke-Whittle et al. supplementary material

Franke-Whittle et al. supplementary material
Download Franke-Whittle et al. supplementary material(File)
File 129.7 KB