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Biochar (Bc) and liquid vermicompost extracts (LVEs) are increasingly being used as biofertilizers in agriculture to promote soil-microbe-crop interactions. However, although both these products can potentially act synergistically due to their complementary characteristics, their co-application in different soils has not yet been investigated. Therefore, firstly, an LVE-activated biochar (BLVE) was experimentally formulated and the persistence of LVE bacteria over a 60-day storage period was determined. The total number of LVE bacteria increased by 10-fold after 7 days and was stable throughout the entire biochar storage period. In addition, changes in the composition of the bacterial community were observed after 30 days of storage, indicating that taxa less represented in pure LVE may be advantaged upon biochar colonization. Secondly, a microcosm experiment was performed to evaluate whether the biological fertility and enzyme activities of two soils, differing in organic matter content, could be enhanced by the addition of LVE-activated biochar. In this experiment, three different doses of Bc, LVE, and BLVE against the carbon-related biological fertility index (i.e., biological fertility index, BFI) and three enzyme activities over a 21-day incubation period were tested. The BLVE treatment yielded the best results (i.e., BFI +32%, enzyme activities +38%). This indicates that Bc and LVEs can act synergistically to promote soil fertility, quality, and microbial activity. By integrating LVE-activated biochar into their soil management practices, farmers could achieve higher crop yields and healthier products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil food webs are extremely complex as they contain diverse organisms. Feeding preference, also known as prey selection, is an important determinant of soil community compositions. However, the feeding preferences of nematodes are commonly ignored in ecology research. In this paper, the population dynamics and feeding preferences of three bacterial-feeding nematodes (i.e., Caenorhabditis elegans, Protorhabditis spp., and Acrobeloides spp.) for eight bacterial prey species were evaluated. Protorhabditis and Acrobeloides were isolated from a paddy soil in subtropical China. C. elegans, the most common model system for biological research, was used as a control in this study, and it was revealed that C. elegans could feed on all the eight bacteria strains. Protorhabditis could only survive when fed E. coli and Bacillus thuringiensis. Acrobeloides could only survive when fed E. coli and B. aryabhattai. During 10 days of culture, C. elegans populations reached the maximum in 5–7 days, and most C. elegans populations exceeded 10,000 individuals. The two Protorhabditis populations on E. coli and Bacillus thuringiensis included less than 800 individuals during 10 days of culture. Acrobeloides population on B. aryabhattai reached the maximum (7799 individuals) on day 8, while on E. coli was its population included less than 500 individuals. These results indicate that different nematode species indeed have distinct feeding preferences. In addition, the population dynamics of the two soil nematodes isolated from soil could not fully match with their inferred life-history strategies (i.e., cp values, and a 1-5 colonizer-p-ersister series that range from r-strategists to K-strategists). Our findings highlights the existing deficiencies in the understanding of the feeding behavior and the life-history strategies of soil nematodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compost tea is a liquid organic amendment that has been reported to benefit plant growth and performance through positive effects on microbial communities and plant nutrition. However, few studies have demonstrated this for containerized plants produced in tree nurseries. Five common urban tree species (Acer negundo, Corymbia maculata, Ficus platypoda, Hymenosporum flavum, Jacaranda mimosifolia) were grown in a containerized experiment to investigate the effects of compost tea application on tree growth and root mycorrhizal colonization over six months. The microbial composition of compost tea was also determined with 16S (bacteria) and ITS1 (fungi) metabarcoding. No significant positive effect of compost tea on plant growth or root mycorrhizal colonization was observed. Roots of all tree species were colonized by one type of mycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizae (ECM), or vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM). However, no relationship between the mycorrhizal colonization percentage and plant growth was detected. Thus, there was no evidence that a once-off application of compost tea had benefits for mycorrhizal colonization and growth of containerized trees in a nursery setting. Further research is needed to investigate whether any benefit from compost tea is evident once containerized trees are planted into urban landscapes where growth conditions may be more challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing focus on the production of biochar from organic wastes and its forestry use. However, it is unclear how applying biochar pyrolyzed at different temperatures influences both soil bacterial and fungal communities. In this study, two kinds of biochar were pyrolyzed at 350 °C and 600 °C, from poplar sawdust, and then applied as an auxiliary substrate material (15% addition by volume) for the container seedling cultivation of Cyclocarya paliurus, a native timber and medically used tree species, to compare the response of the soil's microbial traits. The results showed that after 5 months of cultivation, the addition of the biochar application improved the soil's physical and chemical properties to a certain extent by decreasing its bulk density and increasing its field water-holding capacity, pH and organic carbon content. The soil's pH and content of organic C, available N and available P were significantly higher in the substrate with the addition of the biochar pyrolyzed at 600 °C (Bioc600) than in that of the substrate with added pyrolyzed biochar at 350 °C (Bioc350). The biochar application also enhanced the soil's microbial N (MBN) but showed no changes in the MBC/MBN ratio. The biochar application had no effect on the diversity and composition of the soil's bacterial community, but showed a certain effect on its fungal community composition and had different influences between low and high pyrolysis temperatures. The relative abundance of several of the dominant fungal phyla and genera increased with the addition of biochar due to the increase in the soil's pH when compared to the CK (no biochar or sawdust addition). When compared with Bioc350, the dominant phylum Basidiomycota and genus Vanrija further increased in abundance with Bioc600. These findings reveal the consistent effects of biochar pyrolysis temperature and demonstrate the different regulatory roles of biochar application in soil bacterial and fungal communities, providing valuable information on how biochar can effectively be used as a substrate for seedling cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global sustainability agenda is increasing the demand for reduction in inputs into agricultural production while maintaining profitable yield of quality products. Plant diseases are a major constraint for both yield and product quality, but often tools for their control are ineffective or lacking. Biological control using antagonistic microorganisms has long been a subject of research resulting in a wide range of products that are now available and marketed in specific territories around the world. These preparations are often niche products with narrow uses. The research effort is intense both to develop new biological control agents (BCAs) and to obtain knowledge of the mechanisms underlying biological disease control. The prospects for biological control are promising. As a minimum, BCAs supplement other sustainable disease management practices such as disease resistance, and present opportunities for controlling diseases for which other approaches are ineffective or unavailable. We can realistically expect increasing use of BCAs to control crop diseases in ways that will benefit the environment. This review paper arose from a webinar held by the British Society for Plant Pathology as part of the International Year of Plant Heath (IYPH2020), at which many of the 300 participants posed or discussed interesting questions. This review is based on that input and the panel members at the webinar are all included as co‐authors in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bacteria can regulate cell morphology in response to environmental conditions, altering their physiological and metabolic characteristics to improve survival. Conditional filamentation, in which cells suspend division while continuing lateral growth, is a strategy with a range of adaptive benefits. Here, we review the causes and consequences of conditional filamentation with respect to bacterial physiology, ecology and evolution. We describe four major benefits from conditional filamentation: stress tolerance, surface colonization, gradient spanning and the facilitation of biotic interactions. Adopting a filamentous growth habit involves fitness trade‐offs which are also examined. We focus on the role of conditional filamentation in soil habitats, where filamentous morphotypes are highly prevalent and where environmental heterogeneity can benefit a conditional response. To illustrate the use of information presented in our review, we tested the conditions regulating filamentation by the forest soil isolate Paraburkholderia elongata 5NT. Filamentation by P. elongata was induced at elevated phosphate concentrations, and was associated with the accumulation of intracellular polyphosphate, highlighting the role of filamentation in a phosphate‐solubilizing bacterium. Conditional filamentation enables bacteria to optimize their growth and metabolism in environments that are highly variable, a trait that can impact succession, symbioses, and biogeochemistry in soil environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multitrophic interactions in the rhizosphere impose significant impacts on microbial community structure and function, affecting nutrient mineralisation and consequently plant performance. However, particularly for long-lived plants such as forest trees, the mechanisms by which trophic structure of the micro-food web governs rhizosphere microorganisms are still poorly understood. This study addresses the role of nematodes, as a major component of the soil micro-food web, in influencing the microbial abundance and community structure as well as tree growth. In a greenhouse experiment with Pedunculate Oak seedlings were grown in soil, where the nematode trophic structure was manipulated by altering the proportion of functional groups (i.e., bacterial, fungal, and plant feeders) in a full factorial design. The influence on the rhizosphere microbial community, the ectomycorrhizal symbiont Piloderma croceum, and oak growth, was assessed. Soil phospholipid fatty acids were employed to determine changes in the microbial communities. Increased density of singular nematode functional groups showed minor impact by increasing the biomass of single microbial groups (e.g., plant feeders that of Gram-negative bacteria), except fungal feeders, which resulted in a decline of all microorganisms in the soil. In contrast, inoculation of two or three nematode groups promoted microbial biomass and altered the community structure in favour of bacteria, thereby counteracting negative impact of single groups. These findings highlight that the collective action of trophic groups in the soil micro-food web can result in microbial community changes promoting the fitness of the tree, thereby alleviating the negative effects of individual functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar, an alkaline carbonaceous substance resulting from the thermal pyrolysis of biomass, reportedly enhances the micronutrient availability in acidic soils with little or no effect on alkaline soils. In this study, biochars were produced from poultry manure (PM) at 350 °C and 550 °C (BC350 and BC550 respectively). The acidified biochars (ABC350 and ABC550, respectively) were incorporated into an alkaline sandy soil, and their effects on the soil micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) availability, and CO2–C efflux were investigated in a 30-day incubation study. The treatments (PM, BC350, BC550, ABC350, and ABC550) were administered in triplicate to 100 g soil at 0%, 1%, and 3% (w/w). Relative to the poultry manure treatment, acidification drastically reduced the pH of BC350 and BC550 by 3.13 and 4.28 units, respectively, and increased the micronutrient availability of the studied soil. Furthermore, the biochars (both non-acidified and acidified) reduced the CO2 emission compared to that of the poultry manure treatment. After 1% treatment with BC550 and ABC550, the CO2 emissions from the soil were 89.6% and 91.4% lower, respectively, than in the 1% poultry manure treatment. In summary, acidified biochar improved the micronutrient availability in alkaline soil, and when produced at higher temperature, can mitigate the CO2 emissions of soil carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we investigated the impact of different combinations of wheat straw biochar, compost and biogas slurry on maize growth, physiology, and nutritional status in less productive soils. The experiment was performed as a completely randomized block design in a greenhouse pot experiment. The compost and biogas slurry were applied with and without biochar. The results revealed that a combination of biochar, compost, and biogas slurry enhanced the cation exchange capacity (31%), carbon (83%), phosphorus (67%) and potassium (81%) contents in the soil. Likewise, a significant increase in soil microbial biomass carbon (15%) and nitrogen (37%) was noticed with the combined use of all organic amendments. Moreover, the combined application of biochar, compost and biogas slurry enhanced soil urease and β-glucosidase activity up to 96% and 67% over control respectively. In addition, plant height, chlorophyll content, water use efficiency and 1000-grain weight were also enhanced up to 54%, 90%, 53% and 21% respectively, with the combined use of all amendments. Here, biochar addition helped to reduce the nutrient losses of compost and biogas slurry as well. It is concluded that biochar application in combination with compost and biogas slurry could be a more sustainable, environment-friendly and cost-effective approach, particularly for less fertile soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tile drainage waters carry considerable loads of phosphorus (P) from agricultural fields to rivers and streams in the Midwestern U.S. An innovative and economical approach to monitor dissolved reactive P (DRP) flux in tile waters is needed to understand the extent of P loss in field-scale. In this study, a passive sampling technique was developed using iron oxide-coated polyacrylic/polystyrene anion exchange resins (hybrid resins) a P sink. Laboratory batch adsorption isotherm and kinetic experiments indicated that the hybrid resins had high P adsorption capacity (7.69–19.84 mg/g) and high kinetic performance. The passive sampling method with field-calibrated hybrid polyacrylic resin and hybrid polystyrene resins (sampling rate: 0.1351 and 0.0763 L/h, respectively) predicted the average DRP concentrations of 0.006–0.020 mg/L, which did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from the auto-sampling data. A rapid increase in DRP concentration during storm events and subsequent flooding events was also predicted well. In conclusion, a passive detection method using iron oxide coated hybrid resins can be recommended for monitoring seasonally fluctuating DRP flux in agricultural waters as long as the hybrid resins are well-calibrated under specific field conditions (e.g., flow rate and concentration range). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ten-year experiment on the soil physical properties of biochar-amended Podzol was studied. Biochar was applied to the soil in the following rates: treatment BC10—10 Mg × ha−1, treatment BC20—20 Mg × ha−1, treatment BC30—30 Mg × ha−1 and treatment BC0—Control (soil without the addition of biochar). Biochar was mixed the soil arable layer (0–20 cm). Soil samples were collected ten times, once a year—after harvest rye. They were taken from layers: 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm, in six replicates, using 100 cm3 metal cylinders. The soil physical properties were determined: particle size distribution, particle density, bulk density, total porosity, air capacity and permeability (at −15.5 kPa), water content at sampling, field water capacity (at −15.5 kPa), available and unavailable water content, and the ratio of field water capacity and total porosity was calculated. It was found that biochar application causes changes in the soil physical condition. The soil density decreased, while the porosity, aeration and water retention increased; the ratio of field water capacity and total porosity was favorable. These changes cannot be considered as permanent. Most of the analyzed properties showed a durability of no more than 3–4 years. We found that biochar incorporation into soil is a good method for environmental management of waste biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, it is mandatory for ecofriendly pest-management tools to be used in agriculture. Whey is a dairy-processing waste, a plant and soil chemical and fungicidal basic substance. The beneficial effect of whey on soil microorganisms, enzymatic activities, and free-living nematodes—combined with its toxic activity on the plant parasites—forms root knot nematodes. In this study, this finding is reported for the first time. A drip-irrigating tomato plant combined with whey in water at 3.125% (v/w) and 6.25% (v/w) dose dependently promoted Gram+ and Gram− bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi biomass. Respectively, whey treatment and duration augmented the bacterial feeding nematodes along with the soil enzymatic activities, e.g., alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and urease. The counterpart for these soil organisms' and enzymes' functionality is the decomposition of organic matter, nutrient mineralization and cycling. Additionally, whey applied at 6.25% (v/w) every 10 days in a field experiment exhibited an efficacy of 70% on root knot nematodes. It is calculated that the EC50/3d value paralyzes in vitro Meloidogyne javanica, which was 3.2% (v/v). Conclusively, the soil application of whey could be a sustainable and ecofriendly method to combat the root knot nematodes and additionally to enhance soil biotic components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]