Enhancing orchard ecology for improved resilience to climate change and apple canker disease

该项目旨在开发新的方法来提高已建苹果园和新种植苹果园的抗灾能力。目前苹果生产面临的两大威胁是苹果溃疡病和气候变化引起的严重天气事件，如干旱和洪水，造成树木压力和对种植者造成毁灭性损失。苹果溃疡病是英国苹果生产的一个长期问题，其中一半以上的苹果生产在肯特和梅德韦地区。在新种植的树木中，它造成高达30%的树木死亡率，并显著降低成熟果园的产量和质量。由于高度易感商业品种的高密度种植和缺乏有效的化学防治，这一问题的严重性和影响最近有所增加。苹果溃疡病的问题因极端天气事件而变得更加复杂，比如高降雨量导致的内涝和干旱给树木造成了压力，阻碍了树木的生长，进一步增加了树木对苹果溃疡病的易感性。幼小果园的另一个问题是由多种微生物引起的苹果再植病。在这个项目中，我们将制定新的综合虫害管理战略，以应对极端天气和苹果溃疡病的影响。我们的方法将结合基于有益微生物的可持续地上和地下修正的使用。将使用生物防治剂、植物生长促进微生物、丛枝菌根真菌（AMF）和植物防御生物刺激的组合。我们的前期研究表明，土壤改良剂木霉可以控制苹果再植病害的主要病原之一卵菌，如霉霉。丛枝菌根真菌（AMF）是已知的直接和间接对抗内涝和干旱的有害影响，并已涉及调节植物防御。

This project aims to develop new approaches for increasing resilience of established and newly planted apple orchards. The two main threats to apple production currently are apple canker (_Neonectria ditissima_) and climate change induced severe weather events such as droughts and floods causing tree stress and devastating losses to growers. Apple canker is a perennial problem for the UK's apple production, more than half of which is based in the Kent and Medway region. It causes up to 30% tree mortality in newly planted trees and significantly reduces the yield and quality of mature orchards. The problem has recently increased in severity and impact due to high density planting of very susceptible commercial varieties and the absence of effective chemical control. The canker problem is compounded by the extreme weather events such high rainfall causing waterlogging and droughts that stress the trees, which stunts growth and further increases susceptibility of trees to apple canker. Another issue in young orchards is apple replant disease caused by a variety of microorganisms.In this project we will develop new integrated pest management strategies to counter the effects of extreme weather and apple canker. Our approach will combine the use of sustainable above ground and below ground amendments based on beneficial microbes. A combination of biocontrol agents, plant growth promoting microorganisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and biostimulation of plant defences will be used. Our previous research suggests that Trichoderma soil amendment can control oomycetes, such as Pythium, that are one of the main causal agents of in apple replant diseases. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to directly and indirectly combat the deleterious effects of waterlogging and drought and have been implicated in modulating plant defences.