Use of wild garlic as a biofumigation disease control strategy
Soil-borne fungal and oomycete pathogens represent a major constraint to crop production worldwide. Biofumigation using plant residues that release antimicrobial compounds has emerged as a promising alternative to chemical fumigants, yet the ecological mechanisms underlying disease suppression remain poorly understood. We investigated whether incorporation of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) residues suppresses soil-borne pathogens through volatile-mediated mechanisms and associated shifts in soil microbial communities.