Dynamics of the Soil Microbiome in Newly Planted Ginseng Gardens In Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada, From Seeding Through Two Years of Cultivation. Dynamics of the Soil Microbiome in Ginseng Gardens

Ginseng Replant Disease (GRD) is a syndrome in which ginseng cannot be cultivated in soil previously used to grow ginseng. Since GRD can persist for decades, it severely impacts the Ontario ginseng industry. To better understand the origin of GRD, the impact of ginseng cultivation on the soil microbiome was investigated in bulk soil of three newly planted ginseng gardens in Ontario, from seeding through two years of cultivation. While specific trends in species richness, diversity and composition were unclear, PERMANOVA analyses confirmed that they changed over time. Known GRD-related pathogens, including Ilyonectria mors-panacis and Fusarium oxysporum, were detected in ginseng garden soils. An increase in the relative pathogen load in the soil of ginseng gardens may be a primary driver of the development of GRD but could also serve in the development of a diagnostic tool to identify risk of GRD in soils of unknown ginseng cultivation history.