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Protecting maize from rootworm damage with the combined application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Pseudomonas bacteria and entomopathogenic nematodes.

ABSTRACT: Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, the western corn rootworm (WCR), is the most destructive pest of maize in North America, and has recently spread across central Europe. Its subterranean larval stages are hard to reach with pesticides and it has evolved resistance to conventional management practices. The application of beneficial soil organisms is being considered as a sustainable and environmental friendly alternative. In a previous study, the combined application in wheat fields of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, entomopathogenic Pseudomonas bacteria, and entomopathogenic nematodes was found to promote growth and protection against a natural pest infestation, without negative cross effects. Because of the insect-killing capacity of the bacteria and nematodes, we hypothesized that the application of these organisms would have similar or even greater beneficial effects in WCR-infested maize fields. During three consecutive years (2015-2017), we conducted trials in Missouri (USA) in which we applied the three organisms, alone or in combinations, in plots that were artificially infested with WCR and in non-infested control plots. For two of the three trials, we found that in plots treated with entomopathogenic nematodes and/or entomopathogenic Pseudomonas bacteria, roots were less damaged than the roots of plants in control plots. During one year, WCR survival was significantly lower in plots treated with Pseudomonas than in control plots, and the surviving larvae that were recovered from these plots were lighter. The bacterial and nematodes treatments also enhanced yield, assessed as total grain weight, in one of the trials. The effects of the treatments varied considerable among the three years, but they were always positive for the plants.

SUBMITTER: Jaffuel G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6395644 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Protecting maize from rootworm damage with the combined application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Pseudomonas bacteria and entomopathogenic nematodes.

Jaffuel Geoffrey G Imperiali Nicola N Shelby Kent K Campos-Herrera Raquel R Geisert Ryan R Maurhofer Monika M Loper Joyce J Keel Christoph C Turlings Ted C J TCJ Hibbard Bruce E BE

Scientific reports 20190228 1

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, the western corn rootworm (WCR), is the most destructive pest of maize in North America, and has recently spread across central Europe. Its subterranean larval stages are hard to reach with pesticides and it has evolved resistance to conventional management practices. The application of beneficial soil organisms is being considered as a sustainable and environmental friendly alternative. In a previous study, the combined application in wheat fields of arbu ...[more]

PMID: 30816250

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Project description:In agricultural ecosystems, pest insects, pathogens, and reduced soil fertility pose major challenges to crop productivity and are responsible for significant yield losses worldwide. Management of belowground pests and diseases remains particularly challenging due to the complex nature of the soil and the limited reach of conventional agrochemicals. Boosting the presence of beneficial rhizosphere organisms is a potentially sustainable alternative and may help to optimize crop health and productivity. Field application of single beneficial soil organisms has shown satisfactory results under optimal conditions. This might be further enhanced by combining multiple beneficial soil organisms, but this remains poorly investigated. Here, we inoculated wheat plots with combinations of three beneficial soil organisms that have different rhizosphere functions and studied their effects on crop performance. Plant beneficial Pseudomonas bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), were inoculated individually or in combinations at seeding, and their effects on plant performance were evaluated throughout the season. We used traditional and molecular identification tools to monitor their persistence over the cropping season in augmented and control treatments, and to estimate the possible displacement of native populations. In three separate trials, beneficial soil organisms were successfully introduced into the native populations and readily survived the field conditions. Various Pseudomonas, mycorrhiza, and nematode treatments improved plant health and productivity, while their combinations provided no significant additive or synergistic benefits compared to when applied alone. EPN application temporarily displaced some of the native EPN, but had no significant long-term effect on the associated food web. The strongest positive effect on wheat survival was observed for Pseudomonas and AMF during a season with heavy natural infestation by the frit fly, Oscinella frit, a major pest of cereals. Hence, beneficial impacts differed between the beneficial soil organisms and were most evident for plants under biotic stress. Overall, our findings indicate that in wheat production under the test conditions the three beneficial soil organisms can establish nicely and are compatible, but their combined application provides no additional benefits. Further studies are required, also in other cropping systems, to fine-tune the functional interactions among beneficial soil organisms, crops, and the environment.

Dataset Information

Protecting maize from rootworm damage with the combined application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Pseudomonas bacteria and entomopathogenic nematodes.

Publications

Protecting maize from rootworm damage with the combined application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Pseudomonas bacteria and entomopathogenic nematodes.

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