Quantitative evaluation of the microbial nutrient sink in soil in relation to a model system for soil fungistasis

B. Sneh*, J. L. Lockwood

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

A quantitative approach was devised to evaluate the influence of soil microbial activity as a sink for nutrients exuded by fungal spores as a factor in soil fungistasis. The approach was based on measuring the CO2 evolved from microbial respiration of 14C-labelled exudates from conidia of Cochliobolus victoriae incubated on soil. The amount of exudate lost by spores on soil was greater than the amount lost by spores incubated on a bed of sand undergoing leaching at a flow rate of 110 ml h-1. where restriction of germination was similar to that on soil. Increasing flow rates in the leaching system increased spore exudation and reduced germination. Germination of C. victoriae conidia on membrane filters floated on distilled water decreased as the volume of water increased. The results indicate that the microbial nutrient sink of soil is sufficient to impose soil fungistasis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)65-69
Number of pages5
JournalSoil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1976
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
U.S. Department of Agriculture

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