Resistant and susceptible pea lines harbour different root-rot pathogens and antagonistic fungi

Summary

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a valuable protein source and important crop in low-input farming systems. Fungal root diseases threaten cultivation, and resistance in current pea varieties against multiple pathogens is lacking.
To fully acknowledge the rhizosphere microbiome as a part of the plant environment, eight pea genotypes with contrasting root rot resistance levels were selected and tested on four soils with different disease pressure. Our con- trolled conditions pot experiment showed a significant genotype x soil type interaction for root disease index. Furthermore, the quantification of pathogens and potential antagonists suggests different roles of these fungi in pea root disease.