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Collar rot caused by Fusarium spp. is a serious threat to the production of Passiflora edulis . However, biocontrol methods are lacking. Trichoderma spp., as the most widely applied biocontrol fungus, can be effective in managing crop diseases. The effectiveness is significantly influenced by environmental factors, such as soil pH. To screen potential biocontrol strains against collar rot of P. edulis , and to explore the effect of pH on the inhibition rate of Trichoderma spp., we selected four Trichoderma species and four Fusarium species isolated from P. edulis planting area in Xishuangbanna. The growth dynamics of different strains under different pH conditions were determined using the mycelial growth rate method. The effect of pH on the growth inhibition of Fusarium spp. by Trichoderma spp. was investigated using the plate confrontation assay. The results showed that the optimal growth pH range was 4-6 for Trichoderma spp. and 7-9 for Fusarium spp. All four Trichoderma strains exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the growth of the four Fusarium strains. T. harzianum showed the most notable inhibition, reaching up to a 72% inhibitory rate. Moreover, pH significantly influenced the inhibitory effect of Trichoderma spp., with variations observed depending on the specific species of Trichoderma spp. and Fusarium spp. Therefore, it is essential to consider the environmental pH impact on the efficacy of biocontrol agents when applying biological control measures in the field, tailored to the specific pathogen and biocontrol agent involved.

A high-throughput sequencing approach was used to differentiate the nematode communities in the humus and soil surface layer (0-10 cm) in 20 hm 2 plot located in the cold temperate coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest of Yulong Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, Lijiang, Yunnan. A total of 5744582 sequences were obtained, which were further annotated to 44 nematode families. In the humus layer, 37 families were recorded, with Tylenchidae (18.1%) being the most dominant family. For trophic groups, bacterivorous, fungivorous and herbivorous were predominant. The soil surface layer had 41 families, with Mononchidae (45.4%) being the most dominant family. The relative abundance of predatory nematode was highest in the soil surface layer. There was no significant difference in the α diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson and Chao1 index) of nematode communities at the OTU level between two habitats. At the family level, however, α diversity of nematode community in the humus layer was significantly lower than in soil surface layer. β diversity of the nematode community was significantly different in the two habitats, with lower Cody index but high Sorensen non-similarity index in the humus habitat. Results of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed that the internal structure difference of nematode community in the soil surface layer was higher than that in the humus layer.