Exploring microbial determinants of apple replant disease (ARD): a microhabitat approach under split-root design
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Apple replant disease (ARD) occurs worldwide in apple orchards and nurseries and leads to a severe growth and productivity decline. Despite research on the topic, its causality remains unclear. In a split-root experiment, we grew ARD-susceptible 'M26' apple rootstocks in different substrate combinations (+ARD: ARD soil; -ARD: gamma-irradiated ARD soil; and Control: soil with no apple history). We investigated the microbial community composition by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (bacteria and archaea) along the soil-root continuum (bulk soil, rhizosphere and rhizoplane). Significant differences in microbial community composition and structure were found between +ARD and -ARD or +ARD and Control along the soil-root continuum, even for plants exposed simultaneously to two different substrates (-ARD/+ARD and Control/+ARD). The substrates in the respective split-root compartment defined the assembly of root-associated microbial communities, being hardly influenced by the type of substrate in the respective neighbor compartment. Root-associated representatives from Actinobacteria were the most dynamic taxa in response to the treatments, suggesting a pivotal role in ARD. Altogether, we evidenced an altered state of the microbial community in the +ARD soil, displaying altered alpha- and beta-diversity, which in turn will also impact the normal development of apple rhizosphere and rhizoplane microbiota (dysbiosis), concurring with symptom appearance.
Original language | English |
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Article number | fiaa211 |
Journal | FEMS Microbiology Ecology |
Volume | 96 |
Issue number | 12 |
Number of pages | 12 |
ISSN | 0168-6496 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2020 |
- Malus domestica, apple replant disease, microbiome, rhizoplane, rhizosphere
Research areas
ID: 255101682