Effect of Tillage System and Cover Crop on Maize Mycorrhization and Presence of Magnaporthiopsis maydis

Patanita, Mariana; Campos, Maria Doroteia; Félix, Maria do Rosário; Carvalho, Mário de; Brito, Isabel

doi:10.3390/biology9030046

Cited by 30 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Also, significantly greater dry matter production and a 19% increase in grain production was observed in this combination of treatments. Again, results highlight the importance of an intact ERM and the early AMF colonization for the bio-protection of the crop (Patanita et al, 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 73%

“…The strategy can easily be applied at the field scale, both in low‐ and high‐input cropping systems. Typically, it only requires relatively small changes to the cropping system, such as employing some form of reduced tillage and crop rotations or cover crops that are easy to adopt and can realistically be implemented by farmers (Brito et al, 2019; Goss et al, 2017; Patanita et al, 2020).…”

Section: A Strategy To Manage Amf and Overcome Biotic And Abiotic Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Managing the functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for the sustainable intensification of crop production

Brito

Carvalho

Goss

2021

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact Statement The need to increase food production with reduced use of resources and environmental impact demands innovative rethinking and evolution of cropping systems. The essential changes required are consistent with sustaining arbuscular mycorrhiza, which, together with their associated microorganisms, could be managed to play an important role, especially in the protection of crops against abiotic and biotic stresses. Mycorrhiza should be included in agronomic decision processes, where chemical options to protect crops are limited or require the use of large applications. Defining rotational plant sequence or using cover crops and adopting reduced or no‐till techniques are key components of a strategy for a consistent and predictable way of manipulating the native inoculum to capitalize on the manifold benefits potentially provided by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi through their functional diversity. Summary Despite the wide range of benefits arbuscular mycorrhiza can confer, they are not usually considered in large‐scale farming systems because the potential improvements in crop yields through the enhanced uptake of nutrients is a matter of debate and the advantages from the bio‐protection afforded against biotic and abiotic stresses have not been adequately recognised. Research carried out by our group over the last 20 years has allowed the development of a strategy based on the intentional use of selected host plants (Developer plants), to develop an extensive extraradical mycelium which, when kept intact by the adoption of appropriate tillage techniques, acts as preferential source of inoculum for the following crop, leading to earlier and faster colonization by AM fungi. Depending on the particular host plant chosen as Developer, this strategy can also be used as a tool to manage AMF functional diversity. Using this approach, we have achieved effective protection against abiotic (Mn soil toxicity) and biotic (Fusarium oxysporum and Magnaporthiopsis maydis) stresses in different crops. The strategy can easily be applied at field scale, both in low and high input cropping systems. It only requires small changes to the cropping system, such as employing no‐till and altered crop rotation or cover crops, that are simple to adopt and can realistically be implemented at the field level. This represents an important breakthrough as it allows intentional and predictable manipulation of the native soil mycorrhizal population over a range of different soils and circumstances.

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mentioning

confidence: 73%

Section: A Strategy To Manage Amf and Overcome Biotic And Abiotic Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing the functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for the sustainable intensification of crop production

Brito

Carvalho

Goss

2021

Plants People Planet

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“…The majority of those works focused on environmentally friendly substitutions to the traditional chemical fungicides. Briefly, these green approaches include: the effect of a tillage system and cover crop on maize mycorrhization and LWD [ 27 ]; siderophore production by Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas koreensis [ 34 ]; antagonistic other phytopathogens such as Macrophomina phaseolina [ 8 ]; agro-mechanical approaches such as excessive watering [ 54 ]; applying Lycium europaeum extracts [ 24 ]; manipulating maize plant’s growth hormones [ 55 ]; manipulating the root colonization by rhizobacteria; yeast and using organic compounds [ 56 , 57 ]; seed treatments with biocontrol formulations ( B. subtilis , B. pumilus , Pseudomonas fluorescens , and Epicoccum nigrum ); and bentocide, zinc oxide nanoparticles, and nano-silica [ 58 ]. As in other fungal pathogens, Trichoderma species have received particular focus in the research [ 22 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Attempts were made previously to control LWD using agricultural (balanced soil fertility and flood fallowing) [ 20 , 21 ], biological [ 22 ], physical (solar heating) [ 23 ], allelochemical [ 24 ], and chemical options [ 15 , 25 , 26 ], with different degrees of success. Lately, the tillage system’s effect and the cover crop have been demonstrated as important to the soil’s bioprotective role against M. maydis [ 27 ]. In 2018, for the first time since the discovery of LWD in Israel, an economical and efficient applicable solution was approved [ 12 , 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trichoderma Biological Control to Protect Sensitive Maize Hybrids against Late Wilt Disease in the Field

Degani

Dor

2021

JoF

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Late wilt, a disease severely affecting maize fields throughout Israel, is characterized by the relatively rapid wilting of maize plants from the tasseling stage to maturity. The disease is caused by the fungus Magnaporthiopsis maydis, a soil and seed-borne pathogen. The pathogen is controlled traditionally through the use of maize cultivars having reduced sensitivity to the disease. Nevertheless, such cultivars may lose their immunity after several years of intensive growth due to the presence of high virulent isolates of M. maydis. Alternative effective and economical chemical treatment to the disease was recently established but is dependent on the use of a dripline assigned for two adjacent rows and exposes the risk of fungicide resistance. In the current work, eight marine and soil isolates of Trichoderma spp., known for high mycoparasitic potential, were tested as biocontrol agents against M. maydis. An in vitro confront plate assay revealed strong antagonistic activity against the pathogen of two T. longibrachiatum isolates and of T. asperelloides. These species produce soluble metabolites that can inhibit or kill the maize pathogen in submerged and solid media culture growth assays. In greenhouse experiments accompanied by real-time PCR tracking of the pathogen, the Trichoderma species or their metabolites managed to improve the seedlings’ wet biomass and reduced the pathogen DNA in the maize roots. A follow-up experiment carried out through a whole growth session, under field conditions, provided important support to the Trichoderma species’ beneficial impact. The direct addition of T. longibrachiatum and even more T. asperelloides to the seeds, with the sowing, resulted in a yield improvement, a significant increase in the growth parameters and crops, to the degree of noninfected plants. These bioprotective treatments also restricted the pathogen DNA in the host tissues (up to 98%) and prevented the disease symptoms. The results encourage more in-depth research to uncover such biological agents’ potential and the methods to implement them in commercial fields. If adequately developed into final products and combined with other control methods, the biological control could play an important role in maize crop protection against Late wilt.

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“…Although the worldwide scientific effort is focusing on seeking solutions to LWD based on eco-friendly biological approaches [16,40,41,43,44,62], there is a lack of information on maize performance under LWD stress in crop rotation and reduced tillage. One study that examined this recently [27] showed that grain production and M. maydis presence were significantly reduced when both cover crop and minimum tillage were applied together. It was also found that with cover crop and minimum tillage, the arbuscular root colonization was higher.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop Cycle and Tillage Role in the Outbreak of Late Wilt Disease of Maize Caused by Magnaporthiopsis maydis

Degani

Gordani

Becher

et al. 2021

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The destructive maize late wilt disease (LWD) has heavy economic implications in highly infected areas such as Israel, Egypt, and Spain. The disease outbreaks occur near the harvest, leading to total yield loss in severe cases. Crop rotation has long been known as an effective means to reduce plant diseases. Indeed, agricultural soil conservation practices that can promote beneficial soil and root fungi have become increasingly important. Such methods may have a bioprotective effect against Magnaporthiopsis maydis, the LWD causal agent. In this two-year study, we tested the role of crop rotation of maize with either wheat or clover and the influence of minimum tillage in restricting LWD. In the first experiment, wheat and clover were grown in pots with LWD infected soil in a greenhouse over a full winter growth period. These cultivations were harvested in the spring, and each pot’s group was split into two subgroups that underwent different land processing practices. The pots were sown with LWD-sensitive maize cultivar and tested over a whole growth period against control soils without crop rotation or soil with commercial mycorrhizal preparation. The maize crop rotation with wheat without tillage achieved prominent higher growth indices than the control and the clover crop cycle. Statistically significant improvement was measured in the non-tillage wheat soil pots in sprout height 22 days after sowing, in the healthy plants at the season’s end (day 77), and in shoot and cob wet weight (compared to the control). This growth promotion was accompanied by a 5.8-fold decrease in pathogen DNA in the plant stems. The tillage in the wheat-maize growth sequence resulted in similar results with improved shoot wet-weight throughout the season. In contrast, when maize was grown after clover, the tillage reduced this parameter. The addition of commercial mycorrhizal preparation to the soil resulted in higher growth measures than the control but was less efficient than the wheat crop cycle. These results were supported by a subsequent similar experiment that relied on soil taken from commercial wheat or clover fields. Here too, the wheat-maize growth cycle (without permanent effect for the tillage) achieved the best results and improved the plants’ growth parameters and immunity against LWD and lowered pathogen levels. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that wheat and perhaps other crops yet to be inspected, together with the adjusted tillage system, may provide plants with better defense against the LWD pathogen.

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Effect of Tillage System and Cover Crop on Maize Mycorrhization and Presence of Magnaporthiopsis maydis

Cited by 30 publications

References 42 publications

Managing the functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for the sustainable intensification of crop production

Managing the functional diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for the sustainable intensification of crop production

Trichoderma Biological Control to Protect Sensitive Maize Hybrids against Late Wilt Disease in the Field

Crop Cycle and Tillage Role in the Outbreak of Late Wilt Disease of Maize Caused by Magnaporthiopsis maydis

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