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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wenatchee, Washington » Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #366517
Research Project: Utilization of the Rhizosphere Microbiome and Host Genetics to Manage Soil-borne Diseases

Location: Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research

Title: Exploring the functional capacity of seed meal-structured microbiomes in the control of apple replant disease

Author
item Somera, Tracey
item FREILICH, SHIRI - Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center
item Mazzola, Mark

Submitted to: Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/7/2019
Publication Date: 9/9/2019
Citation: Somera, T.S., Freilich, S., Mazzola, M. 2019. Exploring the functional capacity of seed meal-structured microbiomes in the control of apple replant disease. Symposium Proceedings. p. 44.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: When grown in soils amended with Brassicaceae seed meal, the apple rhizosphere supports a specialized microbiome which can promote suppression of apple replant disease (ARD) pathogens through various modes of action. Combining seed meal treatments with specific rootstock genotypes known to possess ARD tolerance is also integral to optimizing the disease-suppressing potential of the rhizosphere microbiome. To date, the combined effects of seed meal x rootstock genotype on rhizobiome composition have been described in several different soil types (i.e. orchard locations), yet the functional significance of these community shifts remains poorly characterized. In this experiment, amplicon sequencing of the ITS and 16S ribosomal RNA gene was used to characterize seed-meal induced changes in rhizosphere fungal and bacterial communities, respectively, from a tolerant (G.210) and susceptible (M.26) apple rootstock. To explore the functional potential of these systems in more depth, we conducted a literature review and used our own data in a comparative assessment of microbial community structure across 3 different soil types in which seed meal amendment used in concert with specific apple rootstocks provided effective control of ARD. We show that seed meal-induced shifts in microbial community composition vary with soil type, yet similar functional capabilities, which may enable “effective” disease control and/or promote plant productivity, are consistently reflected in dominant taxa. The present study is part of a larger effort to better understand metabolic functions in the rhizobiome of seed meal-structured disease control systems, and future work will further assess functional-oriented interpretations of rhizobiome composition using metagenomic data.