In sustainable agriculture, conservation soil tillage methods and organic fertilisation improve soil conditions, impacting the soil microbial population. The present work aimed to evaluate the effects of the combination of these practices on rhizosphere pathobiome distribution and biodiversity of durum wheat rotated with potato during a 2‐year field trial in central Italy. Two conservation tillage techniques (subsoiling and spading) versus ploughing, and organic compost‐based versus mineral fertilisation, were compared across three durum wheat growth stages. Alpha and beta diversity tests indicated that the compost treatment increased rhizosphere microbial diversity and altered community composition during tillering and ripening across both years. Pathogenic and mycotoxigenic fungi were prevalent in the wheat rhizosphere. Alternaria alternata and A. infectoria , potential causal agents of ‘black points’ of wheat grains, were more abundant in plots with mineral fertilisation at the heading stage across the 2 years. Fusarium equiseti and F. brachygibbosum , causal agents of Fusarium head blight, were more abundant in 2022 under spading and mineral fertilisation at tillering, and Fusarium verticillioides under ploughing and mineral fertilisation at heading. In contrast, organic fertilisation promoted the presence of beneficial and potentially antagonistic fungi. Species including Vishniacozyma victoriae , Trichoderma amazonicum , Botryotrichum atrogriseum and Humicola sardiniae were observed in greater relative abundance following compost fertilisation, though their abundance varied by year and growth stage. These findings show that sustainable soil management practices influence the rhizosphere pathobiome, potentially contributing to microbial colonisation of the phyllosphere and carposphere of wheat and rotated crops, highlighting the interconnectedness of soil and plant health.

Oak decline, driven by Phytophthora cinnamomi , poses a significant threat to oak forests worldwide. Biofumigation using defatted brassica seed meals has emerged as a promising biocontrol strategy within integrated pest management strategies. The efficacy of biofumigation by Brassica carinata defatted seed meal in suppressing several soil‐borne pathogens, including oomycetes, has been demonstrated by several studies. However, specific studies employing different formulations and doses are needed to support the release of a standard protocol of use. In this study, the efficacy of two commercial products based on B. carinata against P . cinnamomi and the impact on the soil microbial community were explored in mesocosm and open‐field experiments conducted in an ink‐diseased cork oak forest in central Italy. Dry pellets and a liquid formulation were first tested in a mesocosm in natural soil with P . cinnamomi inoculum, demonstrating the greater efficacy of the latter. Further experiments carried out in mesocosms and open fields showed that the liquid formulation at a final concentration of 2% of liquid concentrate of defatted seed meal of B. carinata in water was able to completely kill the inoculum down to a depth of 15 cm. At the same concentration, the product effectively protected cork oak seedlings in artificial inoculation experiments. These results underscore the potential of biofumigation as a sustainable alternative to chemical fumigation, promoting its integration into comprehensive disease management strategies for sustainable forestry practices.

The large production of biowaste can cause environmental risks if not managed properly. Composting is considered a sustainable solution for the disposal of this material, but generating high-quality compost requires proper design of feedstock composition and operational procedures. Microorganisms mediate the degradation of organic matter into a nutrient-rich substrate yet their response to different compost recipes is still poorly understood. In this study, fruit and vegetable biowaste was co-composted with woodchips or a perlite + cardboard mix in four different recipes (two representing optimal composting conditions and the other two were unideal composting conditions). Then, using Illumina high throughput sequencing, was defined the core fungal community shared by all treatments, mapped fungal succession through all composting phases and treatments, and identified indicator taxa associated to compost's specific recipes or phases. Our results confirm the presence of a core microbiome common to all compost piles dominated by Aspergillus but also reveal that every recipe has a degree of uniqueness in its fungal community and that the type of bulking agent used can significantly affect the composition of the fungal community during the latest stages of composting. At least one biomarker was associated with every recipe, with some reflecting the environmental conditions occurring such as the yeast P. kudriavzevii when more biowaste was present or T. lanuginosus when higher temperatures were reached during the thermophilic phase. These findings will contribute to increasing the knowledge of microbial dynamics during composting and provide useful information for the future use of biological parameters to assess compost quality.

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) forests play a crucial role in the Mediterranean region, providing essential ecological, social, and economic services. Increasing pressure from wildfires, pests, diseases, and climate change has led to a progressive decline of these ecosystems, making the development of innovative post-stripping management strategies urgent. This study evaluates the effectiveness of kaolin application on cork oak trees immediately after cork removal in a mixed forest in Sant Celoni (Barcelona, Spain). Short- and long-term physiological responses were assessed through stomatal conductance and chlorophyll fluorescence (OJIP test), while sap flux density (J_s) was continuously monitored over a four-month period (July–October 2023) using IoT-based TreeTalker® Cyber (Nature 4.0 s.r.l., Viterbo, Italy). Proximal vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI; and Normalized Difference Red Edge, NDRE) were also evaluated but showed no significant differences among treatments (p > 0.05). Kaolin-treated trees (K) maintained significantly higher photosynthetic performance and stem water transport capacity compared to untreated stripped trees (nK), with effects persisting up to 140 days after stripping. These findings support kaolin application as a viable and low-cost tool for mitigating post-stripping physiological stress in cork oak forest management. Further research across multiple sites and consecutive harvesting cycles is recommended to fully assess its long-term implications for tree vitality and cork productivity.