Abstract
Aims
We evaluated the efficacy of biochar application for suppressing bacterial wilt of tomato and identified the potential underlying mechanisms involved in the disease control.
Methods
We measured the impact of two different sized biochar (53–120 μm and 380–830 μm) on bacterial wilt incidence in a greenhouse experiment. The efficiency of different sized biochar for the adsorption of tomato root exudates and the pathogen was further examined in vitro. We also quantified the effects of biochar and tomato root exudates on two pathogen virulence factors, chemotaxis, swarming motility and examined the effect of biochar on pathogen root colonization.
Results
Fine biochar application (3%; w:w) significantly decreased the bacterial wilt incidence by 19.9%. Biochar with different particle size had similar adsorption capacity for root exudates, while fine biochar was efficient (91%) in pathogen adsorption. Root exudates and fine biochar increased the chemotaxis ability of pathogen, while fine biochar reduced pathogen swarming motility and rhizosphere colonization.
Conclusions
Application of fine biochar can significantly decreased bacterial wilt incidence. This was mechanistically explained by biochar ability to 1) adsorb pathogen directly and indirectly via adsorption of root exudates (based on pathogen chemotaxis) and to 2) directly suppress pathogen swarming motility and subsequent root colonization.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (2015CB150503), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41471213, 41671248), the 111 project (B12009), Jiangsu Key Technology R&D Program (BE2014340), the Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by CAST (2015QNRC001), the Priority Academic Program Development (PAPD) of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (Qirong Shen), and the Qing Lan Project (Yangchun Xu).
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Fig. S1
Dose-response for the adsorption of R. solanacearum QL-Rs1115 by biochar with different particle size. Error bars indicate the standard error of the mean. Different letters indicate significant differences between different treatments. (GIF 40 kb)
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Gu, Y., Hou, Y., Huang, D. et al. Application of biochar reduces Ralstonia solanacearum infection via effects on pathogen chemotaxis, swarming motility, and root exudate adsorption. Plant Soil 415, 269–281 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3159-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-3159-8