Temporal and Habitat Dynamics of Soil Fungal Diversity in Gravel-Sand Mulching Watermelon Fields in the Semi-Arid Loess Plateau of China

Abstract

Gravel-sand mulching is a traditional agricultural practice in arid and semiarid regions, providing a surface barrier for soil and water conservation. However, application of such practice in monocropping systems may lead to outbreaks of several devastating plant diseases, such as watermelon Fusarium wilt.