Plant neighbours can make or break the disease transmission chain of a fungal root pathogen.

ABSTRACT: Biodiversity can reduce or increase disease transmission. These divergent effects suggest that community composition rather than diversity per se determines disease transmission. In natural plant communities, little is known about the functional roles of neighbouring plant species in belowground disease transmission. Here, we experimentally investigated disease transmission of a fungal root pathogen (Rhizoctonia solani) in two focal plant species in combinations with four neighbour species of two ages. We developed stochastic models to test the relative importance of two transmission-modifying mechanisms: (1) infected hosts serve as nutrient supply to increase hyphal growth, so that successful disease transmission is self-reinforcing; and (2) plant resistance increases during plant develop

SUBMITTER: Ampt EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9300135 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature