Mechanical soil amelioration alters soil biology, soilborne pathogen and nematode pests of cereal crops: what are the implications?

Collins, S., Mwenda, G., Wilkinson, C., Hüberli, D., Kelly, S., Gajda, K., Reynolds, C., Kupsch, M., Wickramarachchi, K., Hunter, H., Zaicou-Kunesch, C., Van Burgel, A., Linsell, K. and Davies, S. (2021) Mechanical soil amelioration alters soil biology, soilborne pathogen and nematode pests of cereal crops: what are the implications? In: 2021 GRDC Grains Research Update, 22 - 23 February 2021, Perth, WA

Abstract

Growers in Western Australia have widely adopted mechanical soil amelioration and liming to manage subsoil constraints like acidity, compaction, water repellence and herbicide-resistant weeds. Common mechanical soil amelioration techniques include soil mixing, (e.g. ripping and spading), soil inversion (e.g. mouldboarding or one-way plough) and deep ripping, all of which lead to various degrees of soil mixing, creating a changed soil profile. These actions also mix and redistribute the living components of soil but little is known about the changes in diversity, distribution and long-term survival of the soil's biology including soilborne pathogens, nematodes and weed seeds that occur in response to deep soil amelioration. Liming is known to increase take-all disease because the pathogen prefers less acidic soils but liming effects on other common pathogens and nematode pests in WA requires further investigation.

This investigation assessed changes and potential interactions in soil biology, chemistry, and the soil profile's physical properties for two growing seasons after soil amelioration, a time when the system may be in flux.

Item Type:	Conference Paper
Conference Website:	https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grd...
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/63770

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