Soil Health, Soil Biology, Soilborne Diseases and Sustainable Agriculture:

A Guide

By Graham Stirling, Helen Hayden, Tony Pattison, Marcelle Stirling
Soil Health, Soil Biology, Soilborne Diseases and Sustainable Agriculture
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  1. Page ix
    Preface
    By Graham Stirling, Helen Hayden, Tony Pattison and Marcelle Stirling
  2. Page xii
    Acknowledgements
  3. Page xiv
    Acknowledgements for figures, and copyright issues
  4. Page xvii
    About the authors
  5. Page 1
    1. Introduction: Soil health, soil biology, sustainable agriculture and evidence-based information
    1. Page 2
      What is soil health?
    2. Page 2
      What is sustainable agriculture?
    3. Page 3
      Soil health and sustainable agriculture are inextricably linked
    4. Page 3
      The role of soil organisms
    5. Page 3
      The need for holistic solutions to soil-health problems
    6. Page 4
      Why is evidence-based information important?
    7. Page 5
      Outline of the book, and its purpose
  6. Page 7
    2. Soil physical, chemical and biological properties, and the key role of organic matter in promoting soil and plant health
    1. Page 7
      Soil composition
      1. Page 7
        Mineral particles
      2. Page 8
        Air
      3. Page 10
        Water
      4. Page 11
        Organic matter
    2. Page 12
      Soil properties
      1. Page 13
        Soil physical properties
      2. Page 14
        Soil chemical properties
      3. Page 17
        Soil biological properties
    3. Page 18
      The key role of organic matter in modifying soil properties and improving soil health
      1. Page 18
        Organic matter and soil physical health
      2. Page 19
        Organic matter and soil chemical health
      3. Page 20
        Organic matter and soil biological health
    4. Page 20
      Common soil physical and chemical constraints
    5. Page 21
      Concluding remarks
  7. Page 27
    3. Organisms in the soil food web and their functions
    1. Page 27
      Soil biodiversity
      1. Page 29
        Bacteria
      2. Page 30
        Fungi
      3. Page 31
        Archaea
      4. Page 31
        Cyanobacteria and algae
      5. Page 32
        Protozoa
      6. Page 33
        Nematodes
      7. Page 34
        Mites and collembolans
      8. Page 35
        Enchytraeids, symphylans, tardigrades and other mesofauna
      9. Page 37
        The macrofauna: Millipedes, centipedes, spiders, termites, ants, scorpions and earthworms
    2. Page 38
      The soil food web
    3. Page 41
      Interactions between organisms in the soil food web
    4. Page 46
      Ecosystem services provided by the soil biota
      1. Page 46
        Improvement of soil structure and soil water regimes
      2. Page 47
        Production, storage and release of nutrients
      3. Page 49
        Suppression of soilborne pests and pathogens
      4. Page 50
        Plant growth promotion
      5. Page 51
        Degradation of toxic compounds
    5. Page 51
      The soil–root interface: A key site of biological activity
    6. Page 53
      Maintenance of the energy sources required to sustain soil biological processes
    7. Page 54
      Concluding remarks
  8. Page 55
    4. Soilborne diseases: A major impediment to crop production
    1. Page 55
      Diseases caused by Rhizoctonia
    2. Page 60
      Root rot, crown rot and vascular wilt diseases caused by Fusarium
    3. Page 63
      Take-all of cereals caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis
    4. Page 64
      Root rot and damping-off diseases caused by Pythium and Phytophthora
    5. Page 67
      Pachymetra root rot of sugarcane
    6. Page 68
      Diseases caused by Sclerotinia and Sclerotium
    7. Page 69
      Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum
    8. Page 70
      Crown gall
    9. Page 71
      Diseases caused by nematode pests
      1. Page 71
        Sedentary endoparasites
      2. Page 74
        Migratory endoparasites
      3. Page 77
        Ectoparasites
    10. Page 78
      Estimating the amount of pathogen inoculum in soil
    11. Page 79
      Effects of environment and management on pathogen inoculum levels and disease severity
    12. Page 80
      Diagnosis of soilborne diseases
    13. Page 81
      Integrated disease management
  9. Page 83
    5. Impact of natural enemies on soilborne pathogens
    1. Page 83
      Interactions within the soil food web and their effects on soilborne pests and pathogens
    2. Page 85
      Classical, inundative, and conservation biological control, and its relevance to soilborne pests and pathogens
    3. Page 87
      Disease-suppressive soils: Organic matter-mediated and specific forms of suppression
    4. Page 88
      Benefits and limitations of different forms of suppression
    5. Page 89
      Identification of disease-suppressive soils, and indicators of suppression
    6. Page 93
      Impact of management on disease suppression
    7. Page 94
      The key role of organic matter in improving soil health and enhancing disease suppression
    8. Page 96
      Examples of disease suppression
      1. Page 96
        Biological suppression of Rhizoctonia root rot
      2. Page 100
        Take-all decline of cereals
      3. Page 101
        Disease suppression in horticulture
      4. Page 101
        Specific suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes
    9. Page 103
      The role of organic and biological products in improving plant growth or enhancing disease suppression
      1. Page 104
        Soil improvers, bio-stimulants and plant-growth promoters
      2. Page 104
        Bio-inoculants
      3. Page 104
        Biopesticides
      4. Page 105
        Confirming the efficacy of organic and biological products
    10. Page 105
      Concluding remarks
  10. Page 107
    6. A practical guide to improving soil health and reducing losses from soilborne diseases
    1. Page 109
      Assess soil health and identify any physical, chemical and biological constraints
      1. Page 109
        Soil physical and chemical factors
      2. Page 112
        Soilborne diseases
      3. Page 113
        Low biological activity and diversity
    2. Page 114
      Determine the main limiting factors
    3. Page 118
      Identify options for improvement
    4. Page 120
      Monitor soilborne pathogens and beneficial organisms
    5. Page 121
      Modify soil and crop management practices
    6. Page 130
      Instigate a continuous process of assessment, modification and re-assessment
    7. Page 130
      Concluding remarks
    8. Page 133
      Case study: Growers and consultants use a root disease testing service to monitor pathogens and reduce losses from soilborne diseases
  11. Page 137
    7. Grain farming systems to improve soil health and enhance biological suppression of soilborne diseases
    1. Page 138
      Conservation agriculture: The first step in building an active, diverse and resilient soil biological community
      1. Page 138
        Conservation agriculture and soil organic matter
      2. Page 140
        The key role of high cropping intensities and crop rotation
      3. Page 141
        The biological impact of conservation agriculture
    2. Page 144
      Second-tier practices to continue the soil improvement process
      1. Page 144
        Avoidance of compaction through traffic control
      2. Page 145
        Biomass-producing cover crops and organic amendments
      3. Page 146
        Integrated crop and livestock production
      4. Page 146
        Site-specific management of inputs
      5. Page 146
        Integrated pest management systems
    3. Page 147
      Options to further improve best-practice farming systems
      1. Page 147
        More effective plant nutrition
      2. Page 148
        Greater levels of disease suppression and biological control
      3. Page 149
        Improved resilience under stress
    4. Page 149
      Concluding remarks
    5. Page 150
      Case study: Reducing risk in a drought-prone environment by improving nutrient use efficiency
  12. Page 155
    8. Annual and perennial pastures to improve soil health in grain-cropping systems
    1. Page 155
      The role of perennial pastures in improving soil health
    2. Page 158
      The impact of climate and pasture species on soil biological properties
    3. Page 159
      The contribution of mixed farming systems to sustainability
    4. Page 159
      Choice of pasture species
    5. Page 160
      Options for the future
    6. Page 161
      Concluding remarks
    7. Page 162
      Case study: Living roots mean a healthy, living soil
  13. Page 165
    9. Yield decline of sugarcane: A soil health problem overcome by modifying the farming system
    1. Page 165
      The conventional sugarcane farming system
    2. Page 166
      The impact of the conventional sugarcane farming system on soil health
      1. Page 166
        Soil structure/compaction
      2. Page 167
        Pests and pathogens
      3. Page 168
        Soil organic matter
    3. Page 169
      A more sustainable sugarcane farming system
    4. Page 170
      Soil health and biological benefits from the new farming system
    5. Page 174
      The impact of the new sugarcane farming system on soilborne pests and pathogens
      1. Page 174
        Effects on Pachymetra root rot
      2. Page 174
        Managing nematode pests with rotation crops
      3. Page 176
        The impact of tillage on the resurgence of nematode pests
      4. Page 176
        Enhancing suppression of nematode pests with inputs of organic matter
      5. Page 177
        Specific suppression of nematode pests by bacteria in the genus Pasteuria
    6. Page 179
      Effects of pesticides and fertilisers on the biological health of sugarcane soils
    7. Page 179
      Improving soil health is a long-term process
    8. Page 180
      Concluding remarks
    9. Page 182
      Case study: Incremental changes to a sugarcane farming system improve soil health and profitability
    10. Page 184
      Case study: Controlled traffic and soybean rotation crops produce multiple benefits in a sugarcane farming system
  14. Page 187
    10. Vegetable farming systems: The challenge of improving soil health and sustainability in an industry that demands high levels of productivity
    1. Page 187
      High-input vegetable production systems
    2. Page 189
      Possible components of more sustainable vegetable production systems
      1. Page 190
        Crop rotation, cover crops, companion planting and residue retention
      2. Page 193
        Biofumigation
      3. Page 195
        Appropriate planting times and cultural practices
      4. Page 195
        Reduced tillage
      5. Page 196
        Controlled traffic
      6. Page 197
        Precision agriculture
      7. Page 197
        Organic amendments
      8. Page 199
        Nutrient management
      9. Page 200
        Irrigation management
      10. Page 200
        Integrated management of pests and diseases
      11. Page 201
        Organic and biological products
      12. Page 202
        Organic production
      13. Page 202
        Integrated management systems
    3. Page 204
      Concluding remarks
    4. Page 206
      Case study: No-till zucchini production reduces costs and improves soil health in the dry tropics
    5. Page 208
      Case study: Sustainable vegetable production on land prone to soil erosion
  15. Page 211
    11. Options for improving soil health and minimising losses from soilborne diseases in perennial horticultural crops
    1. Page 211
      Reducing or eliminating tillage
    2. Page 211
      Using cover crops to maintain ground cover
    3. Page 213
      Minimising compaction
    4. Page 213
      Mulching
    5. Page 214
      Organic amendments
    6. Page 216
      Examples of disease management systems for perennial crops
      1. Page 216
        The Ashburner system of controlling Phytophthora root rot of avocado
      2. Page 219
        Mulching to reduce specific replant disease in apple orchards
      3. Page 221
        Root disease management in banana
    7. Page 223
      Enhancing specific agents to suppress particular pathogens
    8. Page 224
      Concluding remarks
    9. Page 225
      Case study: Managing soil, water and nematode pests on a banana plantation in a tropical environment
    10. Page 227
      Case study: Wine-grape production with a focus on sustainability
  16. Page 231
    12. Key soil health messages, and practices that should be included in holistic soil improvement programs
    1. Page 231
      The main messages from the book
    2. Page 233
      Key practices to improve soil health and sustainability
  17. Page 235
    References and further reading
  18. Page 247
    Index

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