The capacity to suppress wheat crown rot disease occurs naturally in contrasted farm soils

Crown rot caused by Fusarium graminearum is a major wheat disease, but only a few soils are known to suppress this disease. Here, 49 French soils were screened in greenhouse plant tests to determine their capacity to limit wheat crown rot upon seed inoculation with F. graminearum . As many as 14 of the soils (29%) showed disease suppressiveness, whereas 15 soils were disease-conducive and 20 soils of intermediate status. The suppressive soils originated from different regions, but overall higher disease symptoms were found with North-West soils. The suppressive soils represented various soil types, i.e. Cambisols, Fluvisols, Leptosols and Luvisols. Chemical properties did not differ markedly in suppressive vs conducive soils, but organic carbon content was lower in suppressive soils than in conducive soils. Overall, soil suppressiveness to F. graminearum -mediated crown rot disease was rather widespread in French regions and present across contrasted farm soils.