Summary
This review synthesises evidence on how soil microbiota can be strategically manipulated to enhance natural disease suppressiveness against soil-borne pathogens in organic farming systems. De Corato examines agronomic practices (organic amendments, crop rotation, intercropping, and soil pre-fumigation) that reshape microbial communities, and discusses molecular methods—particularly next-generation sequencing—for characterising microbiome dynamics during such interventions. The paper addresses the need for detailed microbiome-assisted strategies to improve consistency and reduce failures in pathogen management without synthetic fungicides.
Regional applicability
The agronomic practices reviewed (crop rotation, intercropping, organic amendments) are directly applicable to UK organic farming systems under UK Organic Standards. However, the abstract does not specify whether studies reviewed were conducted in UK conditions; applicability may depend on soil type, climate adaptation, and local pathogen profiles.
Key measures
Soil microbial community composition and structure (via next-generation sequencing); suppression of soil-borne phytopathogens; microbiome shifts during manipulation; functional outcomes in pathogen disease suppression
Outcomes reported
The review synthesises findings on soil microbiota manipulation strategies and their effects on suppression of soil-borne plant pathogens in organic farming systems. It evaluates agronomic practices including soil pre-fumigation, organic amendment, crop rotation, and intercropping, and discusses the role of next-generation sequencing in characterising soil microbial communities.
Topic tags
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