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Soil management is fundamental in all agricultural systems, and reducing soil degradation is a priority to sustain future food production. This effect can only be achieved by taking into account soil fungal biodiversity. All cultural practices, such as the use of cover and rotation crops, compost and tillage systems, in addition to their known effects on soil pathogens, are also likely to affect the other groups of soil fungi, especially beneficial fungal populations.
It has long been known that the suppressive capacity of soils can be enhanced by adding biopolymers such as chitin and its derivatives, such as chitosan. This suppressiveness is related to a change in the activity and structure of soil micro-organisms.
Therefore, we must use our knowledge of the interactions between different fungal groups and their ecology in the management of agricultural systems. It is worth mentioning that the addition of chitin to the soil increases bacteria and fungi that can degrade the cell walls of pathogenic fungi and thus increase the suppressiveness of the soil against plant pathogens.
This is a good alternative to fungicides that kill all fungi, including beneficial fungi. Different tillage treatments can also affect soil fungi through soil disturbance that affects the functioning of fungal communities. Reduced tillage decreases hyphal decomposition causing fungal populations to remain more stable, retaining more nutrients and providing more suppressive effects against pathogenic micro-organisms.
Understanding and selecting appropriate cultural practices, increasing fungal biodiversity, can prevent or decrease damage from root diseases and play a crucial role in maintaining soil quality and health. It should be noted that fungal diversity determines plant biodiversity, ecosystem variability and productivity..
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00707/full
