Managing Native Soil Biology to Optimize Tree Health. Mark Mazzola USDA-ARS, Tree Fruit Research Lab, Wenatchee, WA

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1 Managing Native Soil Biology to Optimize Tree Health Nematodes Protozoa Bacteria Actinomycetes Fungi Zygomycetes Mark Mazzola USDA-ARS, Tree Fruit Research Lab, Wenatchee, WA

2 Managing Native Soil Biology to Optimize Tree Health? -- black box ; we cannot possibly know how to manage what s inside -- Too Complex

3 Change is here! Molecular methods shine the light on who is there Analysis of gene expression: Who is alive and kicking? You are managing your soil biology daily whether you like it or not

4 Top Down management of Orchard Soil Biology

5 Change of Perspective is Needed Soil Biology Soil Chemistry Organic Matter Pesticide load Management Practice

6 Efforts to Manage Soil Biology have Typically Employed an Inundative Release Approach Root boring weevil beneficial nematodes MN Dept. Ag. Trichoderma Mycorrhizal fungi T. Volk Azospirillum bio-fertilizer

7 Alternative Strategy: Manage the native soil biology Advantages: All soils possess antagonistic microbial elements The resident biology is adapted to the site Expression of functional mechanisms optimal in native soils

8 Alternative Strategy: Manage the native soil biology Obstacles: Knowledge-based strategy Functional population required Functional mechanism Non-target effects

9 Management goals: 1. Management of native soil biology for disease/weed suppression 2. Management of native soil biology for enhanced orchard system efficiency

10 Management of native orchard soil biology for disease suppression: Target-Replant Disease Pathogen complex including fungi, oomycetes & parasitic nematodes replant virgin Manipulation strategies Cropping systems Bio-based amendments Green manures

11 Wheat cropping of orchard soil for induction of Rhizoctonia-suppressiveness in nursery/orchard soils: Why wheat? Orchard soil established in a field previously planted to wheat transitioned from disease suppressive to disease conducive state.

12 Wheat cropping of orchard soil for induction of Rhizoctonia-suppressiveness in nursery/orchard soils: + Rhizoctonia solani 1 of 5 different wheat cultivars Mazzola & Gu 2002

13 Response directly related to antagonistic activity of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. from wheat cultivated orchard soils R. solani Pseudomonas sp.

14 Effect of pre-plant wheat cropping or canola green manure on R. solani infection of Gala/M26 roots a a a ab bc c c Mazzola and Mullinix 2005

15 Brassica residue amendment for disease/pest control Biofumigation : the chemistry-based creed

16 Brassica seed meal amendment By-product of oil extraction process

17 Brassica seed meal amendment for induction of disease suppressive soils: Functional role of resident soil biology: Mechanism of action will vary: With plant source of the seed meal With the target pathogen In a time-dependent manner

18 Suppression of Pythium in response to Brassica juncea seed meal amendment Active chemistry (allyl isothiocyanate) is depleted from soil within three days of seed meal application Mazzola & Zhao, 2010 When Pythium is re-introduced 2 weeks or more after seed meal amendment, can effective disease control be attained?

19 Long-term Pythium suppression in B. juncea seed meal amended soil is biologically mediated Incubate 2-12 wks ½ Pasteurized B. juncea seed meal ½ Not Pasteurized (native) Inoculate Pythium oospores

20 Long-term Pythium suppression in B. juncea seed meal amended soil is biologically mediated Native B. juncea SM amended soil has become suppressive to Pythium root infection Pasteurization of B. juncea SM amended soil abolished disease control demonstrating a biological mechanism Disease suppression is biologically-mediated Weerakoon and Mazzola, 2011

21 What is the functional biology in Pythium suppression? B. juncea SM Based upon a DNA-macroarray analysis Trichoderma virens, T. hamatum, T. konigii, Fusarium spp. and Mortierella alpina become preferentially dominant in seed meal amended soil Weerakoon and Mazzola, 2011

22 Management of native soil biology for enhanced orchard system efficiency Nematodes Protozoa Actinomycetes Bacteria Zygomycetes Fungi + N type Fine root development Volatilize Nitrogen loss Leach

23 N amendment type differentially effects M9 root development in native orchard soil Amendment (N 70 lb/acre) Urea Urea+compost Brassica napus seed meal B. napus seed meal+ compost Compost

24 N amendment did not alter M9 root development in pasteurized orchard soil Positive and negative effects of amendments on fine root development are indirect and likely function through the resident soil biology

25 Exploration of possible microbial group(s) functional in observed positive effects on M9 root development Control Streptomyces Is this response is directly associated with NO production and whether the response can be realized with M9 rootstock?

26 Nitrogen amendment type alters nirk abundance and results in altered retention or loss of N from orchard systems nirk-nitrite reductase; denitrification Volatilize Nitrate Nitrite Type of nitrogen amendment will influence loss of N from the soil system by directly altering the abundance of organisms involved in denitrification

27 Concluding comments: Soil biology is an under utilized resource in orchard management systems Lack of use stems in part from the need for tools to predict or define the beneficial state Successful management of soil biology can be realized if objectives are precisely defined Knowledge of not only who is there but who is functioning is instrumental to the successful management of this resource

28 Acknowledgements People Michael Cohen Deanna Funnell Yu-Huan Gu Antonio Izzo Mami Kainuma Kate Reardon Sarah Strauss Xiaowen Zhao Muditha Weerakoon Lori Hoagland Sheila Ivanov Kevin Hansen Jing Yang Cooperators Jack Brown, University of Idaho Gennaro Fazio, USDA-ARS, Geneva, NY Funding USDA, NRICGP USDA CSREES USDA-IPM Organic Farming Research Foundation Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission