Root interactions in a maize/soybean intercropping system control soybean soil-borne disease, red crown rot.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Within-field multiple crop species intercropping is well documented and used for disease control, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. As roots are the primary organ for perceiving signals in the soil from neighboring plants, root behavior may play an important role in soil-borne disease control.

Principal findings

In two years of field experiments, maize/soybean intercropping suppressed the occurrence of soybean red crown rot, a severe soil-borne disease caused by Cylindrocladium parasiticum (C. parasiticum). The suppressive effects decreased with increasing distance between intercropped plants under both low P and high P supply, suggesting that root interactions play a significant role independent of nutrient status. Further detailed quantitative stu

SUBMITTER: Gao X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4014482 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature