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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Urbana, Illinois » Soybean/maize Germplasm, Pathology, and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #180949
Title: EFFECTS OF BIOSOLID SOIL AMENDMENT ON HETERODERA GLYCINES POPULATIONS

Author
item MELAKEBERHAN, HADDISH - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
item Noel, Gregory

Submitted to: Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2005
Publication Date: 9/1/2006
Citation: Melakeberhan, H., Noel, G.R. 2006. Effects of biosolid soil amendment on Heterodera glycines populations. Journal of Nematology. 38(3):349-353.

Interpretive Summary: The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most destructive pathogen of soybean in the United States, causing annual crop loss in the hundreds of millions of dollars. In spite of the nematode’s importance, little is known of effects of soil amendments on the life cycle and control of SCN. This research reports the effects of a commercial biosolid product, N-Viro Soil on the various life stages and development of three SCN populations in greenhouse tests. High rates of N-Viro Soil were effective in reducing both juvenile and adult life stages of SCN, but were phytotoxic. The three SCN populations did not react the same to N-Viro Soil, indicating that use of N-Viro Soil to control SCN in farmer’s fields might be site specific. Phytotoxic rates in greenhouse studies are not necessarily toxic in field studies. Field rates of application need to be determined in future studies. N-viro Soil shows promise in controlling SCN and may provide an additional component in an integrated pest management approach to reducing crop loss caused by SCN.

Technical Abstract: The high degree of parasitic variability in Heterodera glycines and its distribution in a wide range of soybean production systems presents multiple challenges of management and necessitates increased understanding of the biology of H. glycines. Soil amendments are being considered either as stand-alone and/or as part of integrated management approaches. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that H. glycines populations will respond similarly to N-Viro Soil® (NVS, a recycled municipal biosolid with nutrition supplement and liming qualities). In two greenhouse experiments, three H. glycines populations (GN 1, GN 2 and GN 3) were used to infect 2-week-old Round-up Ready® soybean (DSR-221) seedlings growing in sandy loam soil treated with either 0, 1 or 4 g of NVS per 100 cm3 soil. Plants were exposed to NVS for 8 weeks. Numbers and life stages of nematodes were determined 37 days after inoculation with either 0 (control) or 10,000 eggs comprising of 60 to 66% late pretzel (differentiated) stage of embryogenesis. There was variable response at 1 g NVS whereas 4 g NVS/100 cm3 soil treatment was more uniformly effective reducing the total numbers of H. glycines cysts and other life stages of all three populations in roots. However, the higher dose was more toxic to the plants than the lower dose. Among the H. glycines populations, GN 3 was least affected and GN 1 the most affected by NVS treatment in both experiments. The results show that H. glycines populations differ in their response to NVS and possible adaptation to soil environments, suggesting that effective NVS treatment may be site-specific.