High Amendment Lignin-to-Nitrogen Ratio Reduces Efficacy of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Managing Strawberry Root Rot Pathogens.
Shrestha U, Littrell J, Rice JH, Ownley BH, Butler DM
Soil Health
If you grow strawberries and keep losing plants to mysterious root rot, the fix might already be growing in your garden: timing when you mow down a cover crop before tilling it in can make or break your soil's ability to fight back against fungal disease.
Researchers found that when you chop up a wheat cover crop and bury it in moist soil, the younger and softer the wheat, the better it works at killing harmful fungi that cause strawberry root rot. Young wheat breaks down quickly and releases natural acids into the soil that are toxic to the disease-causing organisms. Older, tougher wheat stalks don't decompose as fast, so fewer of those protective acids build up and the pathogens survive.
Key Findings
Soil amended with young wheat residue (low lignin-to-nitrogen ratio of 1:1) produced 3.4–12 mmol of volatile fatty acids per kg of soil by days 3–7, compared to less than 1.5 mmol in mature wheat or unamended controls.
Young wheat residue reduced Fusarium (a major strawberry root rot pathogen) populations by 68–75% and suppressed a water mold pathogen (Globisporangium) by over 96% compared to untreated soil.
Mature wheat residue with a high lignin-to-nitrogen ratio of 7:1 performed no better than untreated soil, showing that growth stage at harvest is the critical variable in cover-crop-based soil disinfestation.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Wheat cover crops cut earlier in the season—before they mature and toughen up—work far better as a soil treatment against strawberry root rot diseases. The key is the ratio of lignin to nitrogen: younger, softer plant material breaks down faster, generating more of the organic acids that kill soil pathogens.
Abstract Preview
Cover crops, like winter wheat, are potential substrates for anaerobic/biological soil disinfestation (ASD), but the lignin-to-nitrogen (N) ratio changes with growth stage and likely impacts ASD tr...
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