Nematodes as soil status bioindicators: MaisSolo project

Abstract

The intensive horticultural production systems in Ribatejo (central Portugal) are mostly based in monoculture with a high degree of technical intervention. In the project MaisSolo, a consortium comprising growers, farmers’ associations, researchers and academia, we aimed to demonstrate that the introduction of cover crops will help to improve soil structure and soil water properties (water infiltration and retention), enhance nutrient recycling and reduce agrochemical needs, with impact on pests and diseases cycle break. Nematodes inhabit all type of soils and are often used as soil status bioindicators. In this work, the evaluation of nematode communities was used to assess the effects on soil status of the proposed alternative practices: 1) biodiverse mixture of grasses and legumes 2) annual ryegrass and 3) biofumigation (forage turnip). In the control plot no cover crop was set.