Mitigation of vanillic acid‐promoted faba bean Fusarium wilt by faba bean–wheat intercropping

Abstract

Long‐term continuous monocropping of faba beans increases the incidence of faba bean wilt, while faba bean–wheat intercropping can effectively control it. This study aimed to understand the underlying mechanism of faba bean–wheat intercropping for the control of Fusarium oxysporum and vanillic acid (VA)‐promoted occurrence of faba bean wilt. The occurrence of faba bean wilt was investigated among the monocropped and intercropped plants of faba beans in a field experiment. The contents and types of phenolic acids were examined in the rhizosphere soil. Monocropped and intercropped faba beans were examined under the dual stress of F. oxysporum and different concentrations of VA (0, 50, 100, 200 mg/L) to understand the alleviating mechanism of faba bean–wheat intercropping. Exogenous addition of high concentrations of VA significantly inhibited the growth and reproduction of F. oxysporum, but under the dual stress of F. oxysporum and different concentrations of VA, it significantly inhibited the defence enzymes of faba bean roots, stems, and leaves, and rhizosphere soil enzymes. Interestingly, faba bean–wheat intercropping alleviated VA stress and thereby the incidence and disease index of faba bean Fusarium wilt by improving plant resistance and soil enzyme activity. The dual stress of F. oxysporum and VA promotes the occurrence of Fusarium wilt by damaging the defence system of the faba bean root system and rhizosphere soil environment. However, faba bean–wheat intercropping effectively alleviates the autotoxicity of VA by improving the physiological and biochemical resistance of faba beans and soil enzyme activities, and thus controls the occurrence of Fusarium wilt.

Benzoic acid promotes Fusarium wilt incidence by enhancing susceptibility and reducing photosynthesis of faba bean

“…Infinity, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA), phenolic acid content was assessed by following the protocol of Zheng et al (2022). Benzoic acid, ferulic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, and vanillic acids (chromatographically pure) were used as the standards.…”

Changes in canopy microclimate of faba bean under intercropping at controlled nitrogen levels and their correlation with crop yield

“…18 Most of these studies focused on the effects of nitrogen fertilizer management on crop canopy microclimate under a single cropping pattern but there were few studies on intercropping systems, especially the wheatfaba bean intercropping system, and the response of farmland microclimate canopy microclimate to nitrogen fertilizer regulation is still unclear. Although the wheat-faba bean intercropping system has attracted increasing amounts of attention in recent years, the research on the wheat-faba bean intercropping system mainly focuses on the mechanism of intercropping disease control, 19,20 and interspecific interaction and the effective utilization of resources. 12,18 However, there are few studies on the changes of canopy microclimate in the intercropping system under the control of nitrogen fertilizer, especially on the relationship between the yield of intercropping faba bean and canopy microclimate at different nitrogen application levels.…”