@article{fdi:010040853,
  title = {{E}ffects of the earthworm {P}ontoscolex corethrurus on banana plants infected or not with the plant-parasitic nematode {R}adopholus similis},
  author = {{L}afont, {A}. and {R}is{\`e}de, {J}.{M}. and {L}oranyer {M}erciris, {G}. and {C}lermont {D}auphin, {C}athy and {D}orel, {M}. and {R}hino, {B}. and {L}avelle, {P}atrick},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{R}adopholus banana ({M}usa acuminata, {C}avendish subgroup) productivity. {E}arthworms are known to closely interact with above-ground and under-ground soil biota and particularly with plants and microfaunal. communities. {T}his study was aimed at investigating, under greenhouse conditions, the effects of the earthworm {P}ontoscolex corethrurus on banana growth and nutrient uptake, and assessing the influences of this earthworm on the development of an inoculated population of {R}. similis. {S}ix-week-old tissue culture banana plants were submitted to four treatments: with {P} corethrurus, {R}. similis, {P} corethrurus+{R}. similis, and a control with no earthworms or nematodes. {A}t the end of the experiment, the {P} corethrurus treatments showed significantly higher leaf surface areas, shoot dry root weights, and root fresh weights than those without earthworms. {T}his root growth enhancement probably contributed to the evident but non-significant decrease in the density of nematodes in the roots, even though earthworms did not reduce the total. number of nematodes per whole root system. {M}oreover, the presence of earthworms slightly alleviated the severity of root damage. {N} bioavailability in the soil, along with {N}, {C}a, and {M}g content of banana plants, were also significantly increased in the presence of earthworms. {O}ur results demonstrated that banana plant growth and nutrition were positively influenced by earthworms. {C}ropping practices that boost the development of earthworm communities in soil should therefore be promoted to enhance sustainability and to naturally alleviate nematode impact.},
  keywords = {{M}usa acuminata ; pratylenchidae ; glossoscolecidae ; endogeic species ; plant growth ; promotion ; nutrient uptake},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}edobiologia},
  volume = {51},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {311--318},
  ISSN = {0031-4056},
  year = {2007},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.pedobi.2007.05.004},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010040853},
}