Soil as a battlefield and a reservoir: linking soil components to the epidemiology of soilborne plant diseases

This paper focuses on how microbial diversity, soil organic matter, and soil structure influence the activities of soilborne pathogens and plant disease epidemiology. Microbial diversity, organic matter, and structure are soil components that can reshape plant-pathogen-soil interactions (the plant disease triangle) by altering nutrient dynamics and the composition of the soil microbiome. When beneficial microorganisms are favored, soil suppressiveness is enhanced by reducing plant pathogen survival, limiting infection success, and restricting inoculum buildup, thereby decreasing disease incidence and severity. However, microbial diversity, soil organic matter, and soil structure may also promote pathogen growth or facilitate cooperative microbial interactions that improve pathogen persistence, thereby elevating disease risk. Future progress requires a shift from descriptive surveys toward functional and predictive approaches, as these soil components are epidemiological factors that can either suppress or intensify the development of plant diseases caused by soilborne plant pathogens. This paper highlights the importance of soil management in regulating microbial community dynamics and supporting plant disease control.