No evidence of foliar disease impact on crop root functional strategies and soil microbial communities : what does this mean for organic coffee?

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to unravel the dynamic effects of pathogens and amendments on the functional root characteristics and communities of root endophytic fungi. As model, used Coffea arabica (coffee) variety Caturra along a gradient of coffee leaves against rust, a prominent foliar disease in coffee systems, under contrasting but widespread amendment regimes in biodiverse agroforestry systems. As the main scoop, an important step is observed in unraveling the dynamic interrelationships between plant traits, endophytes and pathogens, generating new questions about the role of amendments in managing pathogens in biodiverse agroecosystems.