Project members

Anja Logo, Barbara Thürig, Thomas Oberhänsli, Jacques Fuchs, Franco Widmer, Johanna Mayerhofer, Pascale Flury

Abstract

The use of compost can reduce losses from soil-borne diseases in vegetable production. However, suppressiveness varies between composts and is unpredictable. The aim of this project is to use microbial markers to diagnose the suppressiveness of composts and thus increase the stability of production and application in practice. We are also investigating whether less effective composts can be improved by inoculation with antagonistic microorganisms and, building upon a previous project, we are investigating whether microbial taxa that are associated with disease suppression as identified by microbiota profiling are suitable as markers for diagnosing suppressive composts. In collaboration with commercial compost producers, we are analysing different composts and testing them in three plant pathogen systems (cress-Globisporangium ultimum, cucumber-Globisporangium ultimum, cucumber-Rhizoctonia solani). Microbes associated with disease suppression are isolated and studied for their disease suppressive effect and their mode of action.

Publications

Logo et al 2025, bioRxiv

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.17.633646v1