Biological control of the two-spotted spider mites by Clonostachys rosea and by soil microbiota inoculated to strawberry plants

Soil microorganisms and entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) colonize plant roots and help plant growth and suppressing pest population, so, the study of microbial and EPF mediated under- and aboveground interactions with plant physiological responses is critical to advance our understanding of mechanisms underlying information exchange in plants. In this study, we examined the plant-mediated effects of soil microorganisms and of Clonostachys rosea (KIS 1881) on the population growth of two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) in strawberry (Clery cultivar) as root inoculants. Furthermore, we investigated the flavonoid changes in strawberry leaves, and rhizosphere microbiota in response to soil inoculation (i.e., soil slurry vs. autoclaved/sterile slurry vs. water), to C. rosea inoculation (i.e., water used as control vs. Cr) and to spider mite feeding (i.e., non-infested vs. mite-infested).

土壤微生物（soil microorganisms）与昆虫病原真菌（entomopathogenic fungi, EPF）可定殖于植物根系，促进植物生长并抑制害虫种群。因此，研究微生物与昆虫病原真菌介导的植物地下-地上互作及其与植物生理响应的关联机制，对于深化对植物信息交流内在机理的认知至关重要。本研究以克莱里（Clery）品种草莓为试材，将土壤微生物与粉红粘帚霉（Clonostachys rosea, KIS 1881）作为根部接种剂，探究二者介导的植物效应对二斑叶螨（Tetranychus urticae）种群增长的影响。此外，本研究还分析了不同处理下草莓叶片的黄酮类物质变化与根际微生物群的响应特征，所设置的处理包括：土壤接种处理（土壤悬液 vs. 高压灭菌/无菌悬液 vs. 无菌水）、粉红粘帚霉接种处理（以无菌水为对照 vs. 粉红粘帚霉接种），以及叶螨取食处理（未接螨 vs. 接螨侵染）。