Abstract
Potato early dying (PED), mainly caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., may involve other microorganisms (e.g. Colletotrichum coccodes) suggested to exacerbate the disease, while others might mitigate it. This study aimed to understand potential impacts of the microbial community on wilt progression and V. dahliae, for enhanced understanding of PED. Eight potato fields with two different rotation history (2-year rotation and extended break from potatoes (virgin fields)) were selected for weekly monitoring of PED. Moreover, plant samples were tested for V. dahliae using real-time PCR, while soil samples were analyzed for microbial community composition through soil fatty acid analysis. A follow-up greenhouse experiment using soil from two fields was conducted. Soil microbial groups were eliminated from half of each soil, while V. dahliae and C. coccodes were solely or co-inoculated to examine their combined influence on PED in soils with and without natural microbial communities. In fields, plants grown under 2-year crop rotation systems wilted earlier and had higher quantities of V. dahliae in plants than those in virgin fields. Virgin soils had twice the AMF biomass compared to 2-year rotation soils, whereas the presence of other microbial groups were similar between the two soil types. Plants inoculated with V. dahliae wilted earlier than un-inoculated plants, while no significant aggravating effects of C. coccodes was found. Soil without microbial communities accelerated natural wilting, indicating that soil microbes help constrain natural wilt. The study suggests that the soil microbial composition have potential to counteract PED, but not under high V. dahliae pressure.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | European Journal of Plant Pathology |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISSN | 0929-1873 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub / Early view - Mar 2025 |
Keywords
- Verticillium dahliae
- Colletotrichum coccodes
- Potato early dying (PED)
- Microbial interactions
- Potato diseases