Soil nutrient levels are associated with suppression of banana Fusarium wilt disease

Abstract

Disease-suppressive soils exhibit enhanced soil nutrient status. Soil available phosphorus is a distinct feature of disease-suppressive soil. Rhizosphere hosts heightened microbial function for disease suppression. The soil microbial role in disease suppression is linked to nutrient cycling. The role of soil nutrient status in disease suppression is of increasing interest for the control of soil-borne diseases. Here, we explored the soil chemical properties, composition, and functional traits of soil microbiomes in pair-located orchards that appeared suppressive or conducive to the occurrence of banana Fusarium wilt using mainly amplicon sequencing and metagenomic approaches. The enhancement of soil available phosphorus, succeeded by increments in soil nitrogen and carbon, played a pivotal role in the suppression of the disease. Additionally, in the rhizosphere of suppressive sites, there was an observed increase in the disease-suppressing function of the soil microbiome, which was found to be correlated with specific nutrient-related functions. Notably, this enhancement involved the presence of key microbes such as Blastocatella and Bacillus. Our results highlight the significant roles of soil nutrient status and soil microbiome in supporting the soil-related disease suppressiveness. (Figure presented.)