Interaction between the soil microbiome and plant-parasitic nematodes activity in soybean crop

Abstract

Nematodes are small animals belonging to the Nematode phylum, which present high soil diversity and perform important environmental functions. Traditionally, the evaluation of nematodes has been carried out using microscopy methods that depend on a high level of knowledge in taxonomy and require too much time. Aiming to overcome these limitations, molecular approaches can be applied in assessing the composition, diversity and abundance of soil nematode community. In Brazil, R $ 16.2 billion is lost annually due to damage caused by plant-parasitic nematodes in the soybean crop. Beneficial soil microorganisms are able to promote the suppression of pathogens, reducing the incidence of root diseases. Although, little is known about the relationship between soil microbial diversity (and activity) and plant-parasitic nematodes activity. However, the objective of this work is to correlate the diversity and microbial activity of the soil with the soil nematode community, which interfere with the soybean crop. For this, samples of soils cultivated with soybean under different cropping systems and different soil types will be analyzed for the diversity and abundance of bacteria, fungi and nematodes through the techniques of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (T-RFLP), high-throughput sequencing and real-time PCR (qPCR). In parallel, greenhouse experiments will be conducted to evaluate the effect of levels of soil microbial diversity and activity on the activity of Heterodera glycines, Meloidogyne incognita and Pratylenchus brachyurus in soybean plants. The work may be useful for the development of new plant-parasitic nematodes control strategies, as well as adjusting molecular techniques to the study of the nematode community, making possible the rapid and practical evaluation of this component of soil biodiversity. (AU)