relation: https://orgprints.org/id/eprint/17866/ title: Re-establishment of suppressiveness to soil- and air-borne diseases by re-inoculation of soil microbial communities creator: Thürig, Barbara creator: Fließbach, Andreas creator: Berger, Nicole creator: Fuchs, Jacques G. creator: Kraus, Noemy creator: Mahlberg, Nicole creator: Nietlispach, Bruno creator: Tamm, Lucius subject: Soil biology subject: Crop health, quality, protection description: The aim of this study was to investigate the potentials and limitations in restoring soil suppressiveness in disturbed soils. Soils from three sites in UK and Switzerland (STC, REC, THE) differing in their level of suppressiveness to soil-borne and air-borne diseases were γ-irradiated and this soil matrix was re-inoculated with 1% (w/w) of either parent native soil or native soil from the other sites (‘soil inoculum’). Suppressiveness to air-borne and soil-borne diseases was quantified by means of the host–pathogen systems Lepidium sativum (cress)–Pythium ultimum, an oomycete causing root rot and seedling damping-off, and Arabidopsis thaliana–Hyaloperonospora parasitica, an oomycete causing downy mildew. Soil microbial biomass, activity and community structure, as determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles, were measured in native, γ-irradiated, and re-inoculated soils. Both, L. sativum and A. thaliana were highly susceptible to the pathogens if grown on γ-irradiated soils. Re-inoculation completely restored suppressiveness of soils to the foliar pathogen H. parasitica, independently of soil matrix or soil inoculum, whereas suppressiveness to P. ultimum depended on the soil matrix and, to a lesser extent, on the soil inoculum. However, the soil with the highest inherent suppressiveness did not reach the initial level of suppressiveness after re-inoculation. In addition, native microbial populations as defined by microbial biomass, activity and community structure, could not be fully restored in re-inoculated soils. As for suppressiveness to P. ultimum, the soil matrix, rather than the source of soil inoculum was identified as the key factor for re-establishing the microbial community structure. Our data show that soils do not or only slowly fully recover from sterilisation by γ-irradiation, indicating that agricultural soil management practices such as soil fumigation or heat treatments frequently used in vegetable cropping should be avoided. publisher: Elsevier Ltd date: 2009 type: Journal paper type: NonPeerReviewed format: application/pdf language: en identifier: /id/eprint/17866/1/thuerig-etal-2009-see-front-matter.pdf identifier: Thürig, Barbara; Fließbach, Andreas; Berger, Nicole; Fuchs, Jacques G.; Kraus, Noemy; Mahlberg, Nicole; Nietlispach, Bruno and Tamm, Lucius (2009) Re-establishment of suppressiveness to soil- and air-borne diseases by re-inoculation of soil microbial communities. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41 (10), pp. 2153-2161. relation: doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.07.028 identifier: doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.07.028