Abstract
Earthworms are integral part of belowground communities, which are actively involved in redesigning the structure of the soil environment. In recent decades, several researches have shown the potential of application of vermicompost in controlling soil-borne plant fungal diseases. However, complexity of earthworm interactions with various abiotic and biotic components of the soil has posed a real challenge before the scientists unearthing the underlying mechanism of disease suppression. This chapter focuses on the earthworm-mediated factors contributing to soil-borne fungal disease suppression. Very briefly, we have highlighted the limitations of prevailing biocontrol methods of soil-borne fungal pathogens. Key mechanisms involved in earthworm-mediated soil-borne fungal disease suppression, such as influence on soil microbial communities, enzymatic activity, production of antifungal compounds, soil physicochemical properties, and systemic resistance in plants, are explored. Further, we have attempted to identify core areas and give future directions where concerted research efforts are still required.
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Meghvansi, M.K., Singh, L., Srivastava, R.B., Varma, A. (2011). Assessing the Role of Earthworms in Biocontrol of Soil-Borne Plant Fungal Diseases. In: Karaca, A. (eds) Biology of Earthworms. Soil Biology, vol 24. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14636-7_11
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