Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation and Vermicompost to Manage Bottom Rot in Organic Lettuce.

Kühn (teleomorph: [Frank] Donk) is an aggressive soilborne pathogen with a wide host range that survives saprophytically between crops, presenting a challenge for organic vegetable farmers who lack effective management tools. A 2-year field experiment was conducted at two organic farms to compare anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) and worm-cured compost (vermicompost) to manage bottom rot caused by subspecies AG1-IB in field-grown organic lettuce (). At each farm, four replicate plots of seven treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design.

AG1-IB, AG1-IC, and AG4-HGII cause bottom rot of field lettuce in Vermont.

Members of (teleomorph: ) species complex cause bottom rot on lettuce () and yield losses up to 70% (Subbarao et al. 2017). Severe symptoms include necrosis, stem rot, and/or discoloration especially on the leaf midrib.

Differential Survival of Escherichia coli and Listeria spp. in Northeastern U.S. Soils Amended with Dairy Manure Compost, Poultry Litter Compost, and Heat-Treated Poultry Pellets and Fate in Raw Edible Radish Crops.

Abstract: Composted or heat-treated biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAOs) can be added to soils to provide nutrients for fresh produce. These products lower the risk of pathogen contamination of fresh produce compared with the use of untreated BSAAOs; however, meteorological conditions, geographic location, and soil properties can influence the presence of pathogenic bacteria or their indicators (e.g.

Bacterial Community Dynamics Distinguish Poultry Compost from Dairy Compost and Non-Amended Soils Planted with Spinach.

The aim of this study was to determine whether and how poultry litter compost and dairy manure compost alter the microbial communities within field soils planted with spinach. In three successive years, separate experimental plots on two fields received randomly assigned compost treatments varying in animal origin: dairy manure (DMC), poultry litter (PLC), or neither (NoC). The composition and function of bacterial and fungal communities were characterized by the amplicon sequencing of marker genes and by the ecoenzyme activity, respectively.

Mammary microbiome of lactating organic dairy cows varies by time, tissue site, and infection status.

Infections of the cow udder leading to mastitis and reducing milk quality are a critical challenge facing all dairy farmers. Mastitis may be linked to the ecological disruption of an endogenous mammary microbial community, suggesting an ecosystems approach to management and prevention of this disease. The teat end skin represents a first point of host contact with mastitis pathogens and may offer an opportunity for microbially mediated resistance to infection, yet we know little about the microbial community of teat end skin or its potential interaction with the microbial community of intramammary milk of organic dairy cattle.

A Plate Competition Assay As a Quick Preliminary Assessment of Disease Suppression.

The goal was to develop and optimize a simple, affordable, and effective bioassay to detect disease suppressive ability of a specific compost against soilborne fungus Rhizoctonia solani. R. solani is a pathogen of a wide range of plant hosts worldwide.

Changes in bacterial and fungal communities across compost recipes, preparation methods, and composting times.

Compost production is a critical component of organic waste handling, and compost applications to soil are increasingly important to crop production. However, we know surprisingly little about the microbial communities involved in the composting process and the factors shaping compost microbial dynamics. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing approaches to assess the diversity and composition of both bacterial and fungal communities in compost produced at a commercial-scale.

Nematode Genera in Forest Soil Respond Differentially to Elevated CO2.

Previous reports suggest that fungivorous nematodes are the only trophic group in forest soils affected by elevated CO2. However, there can be ambiguity within trophic groups, and we examined data at a genus level to determine whether the conclusion remains similar. Nematodes were extracted from roots and soil of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) forests fumigated with either ambient air or CO2-enriched air.

Nitrogen fixation and leaching of biological soil crust communities in mesic temperate soils.

Biological soil crust is composed of lichens, cyanobacteria, green algae, mosses, and fungi. Although crusts are a dominant source of nitrogen (N) in arid ecosystems, this study is among the first to demonstrate their contribution to N availability in xeric temperate habitats. The study site is located in Lucas County of Northwest Ohio.

Observed differences in life history characteristics of nematodes Aphelenchus and Acrobeloides upon exposure to copper and benzo(a)pyrene.

Maturity index values reflect life history characteristics often inferred by morphology. We tested the hypothesis that Acrobeloides and Aphelenchus are sensitive to chemical pollutants, opposite of what their colonizer-persister (CP) value of 2 suggests. Acrobeloides and Aphelenchus were reared at 19 degrees C and provided diets of Escherichia coli and Rhizoctonia solani, respectively.