Summary
This field study investigated how Kiwifruit Vine Decline Syndrome (KVDS) alters soil health indicators and microbial community structure in two Italian orchards. Using seasonal soil sampling, enzyme assays, PLFA analysis, and metabarcoding, the authors demonstrated that KVDS significantly impacts soil enzyme activities and shifts microbial community composition, particularly increasing fungal biomass in symptomatic areas. The findings suggest KVDS involves complex plant–soil–microbe interactions centred on rhizosphere microbial imbalance rather than a single pathogenic factor.
Regional applicability
This study is geographically specific to Italian kiwifruit production systems (Latium region) where KVDS is established as a significant production concern. Whilst kiwifruit cultivation occurs at limited scale in the United Kingdom, the mechanistic approach to soil microbial profiling and disease-associated shifts in rhizosphere communities may inform understanding of similar perennial crop decline syndromes in UK horticultural systems, particularly if KVDS establishment risk increases with climate change.
Key measures
Soil pH, electrical conductivity, water-soluble carbon and nitrogen, soil enzyme activities, phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis for microbial biomass quantification, metabarcoding for microbial community composition and diversity
Outcomes reported
The study measured soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial biomass (via PLFA analysis), and microbial community composition (via metabarcoding) in symptomatic versus asymptomatic kiwifruit orchard soils across two seasons. Key findings include significant shifts in soil enzyme activities and increased fungal biomass in KVDS-affected areas, with distinct microbial community profiles between diseased and healthy soil.
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