07/03/2013@ILVO

The effect of biochar and compost on plant pathogens and the microbial community in soil

Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries ResearchPlant Sciences Unit

www.ilvo.vlaanderen.beAgriculture and Fisheries Policy Area

Compost vs biochar

2

Compost BiocharOrganic soil amendments: recycling organic waste

…by composting‐ with oxygen (aerobic

decomposition)‐ phase 1: 50-70°C, phase 2 < 40°C ‐ → full of microbes, but large effect

of high temperature

….by pyrolysis‐ without oxygen‐ 200-600°C (thermal decomposition)‐ → ’sterile’, habitat for microbes

Compost vs biochar

3

Compost BiocharC-source

Source of stable organic matter Long term carbon storage in soil → global warming

Fertiliser”Slow release fertilizer” Slow release or immobilisation

Effect on plant pathogens> 500 publications- Reported levels of disease

suppression = variable- The mechanisms involved not fully

understood

< 10 publications- Research group in Israel (Elad)- Induced resistance on strawberry

and pepper – change in rhizospheremicrobiology

Research on compost & biochar vs pest & diseases @ ILVO

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• 2003-2004: Resistance to air-born diseases and pests induced by compost in substrate cultivation of strawberry

• 2010-2013: FOD project: Meloidogyne chitwoodi = root knot nematode

• 2011-2015: PhD Negin Ebrahimi: The effects of soil amendments on survival and reproduction rate of Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida = potato cyst nematode

• 2012-2016: EU project Fertiplus: reducing mineral fertilizers and agro-chemicals by recycling treated organic waste as compost and biochar

Strawberry & air-born diseases & pests

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• Treatments:– Peat + mineral fertilizer (F)– Peat + 30% compost 1/ compost 2 (M1/M2)

• Natural infectionsfruit rot (B. cinerea)

powdery mildow (Sphaerothecamaculans f. sp. fragariae)

mites (Tetranychus urticae)

aphids (Chaetosiphonragefolii)

Strawberry & diseases & pests

6

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

F M1 M2

# pe

r cm

2

% d

isea

se

2004

fruit rotpowdery mildowaphidsmites

Plant

• 4 days

No clustering

• ≈ 1 month

Clustering per object

• 3 months

Clustering per substrate type

Strawberry & diseases & pests

St = pre-sterilized

Meloidogyne on bean and carrots

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• Less problems with root knot nematodes in soils with high concentrations of organic material

• Treatments (30 ton/ha)─ wood chip compost ─ wood chip compost 80% + biochar

20%─ non-amended soil

─ inoculation with J2 (high Pi and low Pi)

• Why compost + biochar?

Courtesy W. Wesemael

Courtesy W. Wesemael

Meloidogyne on bean and carrots

9High Pi = 100 J2/100 cm3 soilLow Pi = 10 J2/100 cm3 soil

Soil - H

igh P

iSoil

and c

ompo

st - H

igh P

i

Soil - L

ow P

iSoil

and c

ompo

st - L

ow P

i

Mel

oido

gyne

chi

twoo

di

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Carrot Bean

b

aa a

C

B

AA

Meloidogyne on bean & carrots

10Pi = 40 J2/100 cm3 soil

Soil

Soil + C

ompo

stSoil

+ Com

post

+ Bioc

har

Mel

oido

gyne

chi

twoo

di

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Carrot Bean

b

aa

B

A

B

Meloidoigne on carrots

11

Soil (c

ontro

l)

Soil + co

mpost

(contr

ol)

Soil + co

mpost

+ bioc

har (c

ontro

l)

Soil + M

cSoil

+ compo

st + M

c

Soil + co

mpost

+ bioc

har +

Mc

Wei

ght (

g)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Above ground plant part Root system

Meloidogyne on bean

12

Soil (c

ontro

l)

Soil + co

mpost

(contr

ol)

Soil + co

mpost

+ bioc

har (c

ontro

l)

Soil + M

cSoil

+ compo

st + M

c

Soil + co

mpost

+ bioc

har +

Mc

Wei

ght (

g)

0

10

20

30

40

Above ground plant part Root system

Globodera on potato

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• Treatments (30 ton/ha)─ wood chip compost (15g/L)─ wood chip compost (12g/L) + biochar (3g/L)─ non-amended soil

• Visual assessment and the trehalose test to determine the viability of eggs and juveniles after 8, 12 and 16 weeks

• Determination of the reproduction rate after 16 weeks

Courtesy W. Wesemael

Reproduction of Globodera spp.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Non‐amended soil Compost Compost+Biochar

Num

ber o

f eggs an

d juveniles/g soil

Amendments

G. pallida

G. rostochiensis

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Non‐amended soil Compost Compost+Biochar

Num

ber o

f cysts/100

0g soil

Amendments

G. pallida

G. rostochiensis

Pi = 3.6 eggs and J2/g soil

Potato tuber weight

Fertiplus

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• EU FP7 project: www.fertiplus.be

• Aim = to reduce mineral fertilizers (N,P use) & agrochemicals (pest control)

• How = by recycling organic waste by composting and pyrolysis

• Various feedstocks

• Compost, biochar and biochar-blended compost

Fertiplus

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• ILVO–part: effect

1. on soil plant pathogens of vegetables (bioassays)• Meloidogyne, Pratylenchus & Globodera• Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum & Verticillium dahliae

2. on soil/rhizosphere microbiology • PLFA• DGGE• NGS

3. On the physico-chemical properties of the soil

4. correlation between 1-3?

NematologyWim WesemaelNegin EbrahimiNicole Viaene

Maurice MoensCatherine Catillas

Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries ResearchPlant Sciences Unit

www.ilvo.vlaanderen.beAgriculture and Fisheries Policy Area

Mycology -Microbiology

Jane DebodeSvetoslav Bobev

Steve Baeyen

Pieter Cremelie

Soil scienceBart Vandecasteele

Tommy D’HoseKoen Willekens

Martine Maes