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ELUCIDATING THE ROLE OF SOIL MICROARTHROPODS IN CROPPING SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

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dc.contributor.authorJernigan, Ashley
dc.contributor.chairWickings, Kyleen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberKao-Kniffin, Jennyen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberPethybridge, Sarahen_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-31T21:19:08Z
dc.date.issued2023-05
dc.description.abstractSoil microarthropods, a diverse group of fauna dominated by springtails (Collembola) and mites (Acari), mediate many soil biological processes. While our understanding of the effects of microarthropods on these processes has increased greatly, we still have a limited understanding of how these effects manifest in crop production. The goal of this work was to investigate how soil microarthropods affect major areas of crop management. A multi-year field experiment was conducted to model how soil microarthropods affect crop production under different cover cropping strategies. The relative importance of soil nutrient cycling, plant pathogens, and weed competition in crop production was investigated using multi-model piecewise structural equation modeling. Soil and microbial community carbon and nitrogen were important determinants in bean production. The microarthropods had more positive effects on bean production when there were more food resources available. A greenhouse experiment investigated the effects of microarthropod abundance and diversity on nitrogen cycling and how these effects manifest in crop production. Microarthropods, in both single species and diverse communities, stimulate nitrogen cycling and enhance crop nutrient status. Another greenhouse experiment examined how microarthropods could potentially affect weed community assemblage. Collembola reduced germination more for the broadleaf weeds than the grass weeds. The Collembola decreased broadleaf weed biomass (up to 45% reduction for certain species) more than the grass weed biomass. A follow-up lab experiment revealed that the Collembola only affected the germination of yellow foxtail, indicating that the Collembola were more likely impacting the broadleaf weed growth by feeding on their roots than directly affecting germination. A series of lab experiment were then conducted to delve into the mechanisms and spatio-temporal dynamics of microarthropod-plant pathogen interactions. The dominant mechanism in the Rhizoctonia solani and Collembola interactions was consumption of the pathogen, however there was potential for pathogen dispersal. Increasing Collembola abundances decreased the growth rate of R. solani. Within a mineral substrate, our findings indicate that it is not the physical soil environment diminishing the collembolan control of pathogens, but that it is the presence of organic matter. These studies indicate that soil microarthropods can play a role in multiple aspects of crop management.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.7298/218e-jh66
dc.identifier.otherJernigan_cornellgrad_0058F_13634
dc.identifier.otherhttp://dissertations.umi.com/cornellgrad:13634
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1813/114058
dc.language.isoen
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/*
dc.subjectCollembolaen_US
dc.subjectMicroarthropodsen_US
dc.subjectMitesen_US
dc.subjectPathogensen_US
dc.subjectSoil Fertilityen_US
dc.subjectWeedsen_US
dc.titleELUCIDATING THE ROLE OF SOIL MICROARTHROPODS IN CROPPING SYSTEM MANAGEMENTen_US
dc.typedissertation or thesisen_US
dcterms.licensehttps://hdl.handle.net/1813/59810.2
thesis.degree.disciplineEntomology
thesis.degree.grantorCornell University
thesis.degree.levelDoctor of Philosophy
thesis.degree.namePh. D., Entomology

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