Soil Biology & Disease Suppression

Published: Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:45:32

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By Bob Knaub Get the dirt on soil... Learn the importance of microscopic bugs and the symbiotic relationship they have with plant health.

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EFFECTIVE ORGANICS
Effective Organics believes that successful “organic plant management” begins and ends with soil biology! In order for plants to thrive in the face of environmental stress the soil profile supporting that plant must contain a diverse population of beneficial soil microorganisms.
These microscopic wonders are “nature’s life support system”. They improve nutrient availability, enhance nutrient absorption, reduce the incidence of nutrient leaching, stimulate vigorous plant growth, improve soil structure and provide plants with increased resistance to environmental stress. Attempting to implement an organic program without addressing soil biology is a recipe for disaster……….you must feed the soil!!
You cannot speak of plant stress without addressing disease. Pathogenic fungi are responsible for the lion’s share of turfgrass & ornamental disease. The best way to ward off or control plant disease is by addressing soil biology.
Biological inoculants contain a variety of beneficial soil microbes that have the ability to suppress pathogenic microorganisms through a process known as competitive exclusion. These beneficial species pre-emptively consume the food source for such pathogenic fungi as pythium, fusarium, rhizoctonia, sclerotinia, magna porthe and phytophthora keeping them in check through the process of natural selection.
Many beneficial soil microorganisms produce antibiotics, which inhibits the pathogens ability to carry out protein synthesis. When they loose their ability to synthesize proteins the pathogen expires..
There are a variety of beneficial soil bacteria and fungi that synthesize the enzyme chitinase. Chitinase has the capacity to degrade chitin, the primary component found in the cell wall of pathogenic fungi. Once the pathogens cell wall has been damaged (cell lysis) by the enzyme they can no longer regulate metabolic functions and they expire.
Many strains of the beneficial soil fungus Trichoderma are capable of parasatizing (consuming) pathogenic microorganisms and destroying them. Trichoderma are also proficient at producing antifungal metabolites such as chitinase and B – glucanase.
Summarily if your turfgrass, ornamentals or vegetables show signs of disease infestation….feed your soil…..better yet improve soil biology before the proverbial horse has left the barn!
SOIL BIOLOGY & DISEASE SUPPRESSION