Abstract
A surface mulch of crop residues enhances suppressiveness to plantparasitic nematodes in sugarcane soils. Nematropica 41:109-121. Most Australian sugarcane crops are harvested green, with the crop residues left behind after harvest remaining on the soil surface as mulch, a process known as green cane trash blanketing. Sampling in trash-blanketed sugarcane fields showed that roots were present to a depth of 150 cm, but that more than 90% of the root biomass was in the upper 30 cm of the soil profile. Many of these roots were concentrated in a layer just below the trash blanket and they were unusually healthy, presumably because population densities of Pratylenchus zeae/g root were 5-16 times lower than in roots a few cm further down the profile. Results of a microcosm experiment indicated that mulching soil with sugarcane residue increased soil C, microbial activity and numbers of free-living nematodes, and enhanced suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica and P. zeae to a greater extent than incorporating the residue into soil. It is hypothesized that roots immediately beneath the trash blanket remain healthy because C inputs from root exudates and organic matter on the soil surface sustain a soil food web capable of suppressing root pathogens, including plant-parasitic nematodes.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Sugarcane roots extended to 150 cm.
Verbatim
e0“roots were present to a depth of 150 cm”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
More than 90% of sugarcane root biomass occurred in the upper 30 cm.
Verbatim
e0“more than 90% of the root biomass was in the upper 30 cm”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
Roots just below the trash blanket were unusually healthy.
Verbatim
e0“Many of these roots were concentrated in a layer just below the trash blanket and they were unusually healthy”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
Pratylenchus zeae density per root was 5-16 times lower than in roots further down.
- Taxon
- sugarcanet0
- Interactor
- Pratylenchus zeae
Pratylenchus zeaee0pathogen - Outcome
- population densities of Pratylenchus zeae/g roote0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 5-16 timese0
- Comparator
- roots a few cm further down the profilee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“population densities of Pratylenchus zeae/g root were 5-16 times lower than in roots a few cm further down the profile”
t0“sugarcane”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching with sugarcane residue increased soil C relative to incorporation.
Verbatim
e0“mulching soil with sugarcane residue increased soil C, microbial activity and numbers of free-living nematodes, and enhanced suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica and P. zeae to a greater extent than incorporating the residue into soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching increased microbial activity and free-living nematode numbers relative to incorporation.
Verbatim
e0“mulching soil with sugarcane residue increased soil C, microbial activity and numbers of free-living nematodes, and enhanced suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica and P. zeae to a greater extent than incorporating the residue into soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching enhanced suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica more than residue incorporation.
Verbatim
e0“mulching soil with sugarcane residue increased soil C, microbial activity and numbers of free-living nematodes, and enhanced suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica and P. zeae to a greater extent than incorporating the residue into soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching enhanced suppressiveness to P. zeae more than residue incorporation.
- Taxon
- sugarcanee0
- Treatment
- mulching soil with sugarcane residuee0
- Interactor
- P. zeaePratylenchus zeaee0pathogen
- Outcome
- suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica and P. zeaee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Comparator
- incorporating the residue into soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mulching soil with sugarcane residue increased soil C, microbial activity and numbers of free-living nematodes, and enhanced suppressiveness to Meloidogyne javanica and P. zeae to a greater extent than incorporating the residue into soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors hypothesize that surface carbon inputs sustain a food web suppressing root pathogens and keeping roots healthy.
Verbatim
e0“roots immediately beneath the trash blanket remain healthy because C inputs from root exudates and organic matter on the soil surface sustain a soil food web capable of suppressing root pathogens, including plant-parasitic nematodes”
t0“sugarcane”
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See all 7 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.