Sustainable Management of Soil-borne Plant Diseases

Soil-borne diseases result from a reduction of biodiversity of soil organisms. Restoring beneficial organisms that attack, repel, or otherwise antagonize disease-causing pathogens will render a soil disease-suppressive. Plants growing in disease-suppressive soil resist diseases much better than in soils low in biological diversity. Beneficial organisms can be added directly, or the soil environment can be made more favorable for them through use of compost and other organic amendments. Compost quality determines its effectiveness at suppressing soil-borne plant diseases. Compost quality can be determined through laboratory testing.

• Why Disease?
• Strategies for Control: Specific vs. General
• General Suppression: Disease Suppressive Soils
   o Mycorrhizal Fungi and Disease Suppression
• Crop Rotation and Disease Suppression
• Plant Nutrients and Disease Control
• Compost and Disease Suppression
   o Why Compost Works
   o Determining and Monitoring Compost Quality
   o Direct Inoculation with Beneficial Organisms

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