Shifts in ascomycete community of bisolarizated substrate infested with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans and F. oxysporum f. sp. basilici by PCR-DGGE

• Solarization was carried out in combination with Brassica carinata and compost amendments.
• We examine the development of FOB and FOC after biosolarization.
• Microbial count and PCR-DGGE were performed.
• Abundance of FOB and FOC were reduced as a consequence of biosolarization.
• The use of organic amendments increased the similarity of the fungal population.

Substrate samples were artificially infested with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans (FOC) and F. oxysporum f. sp. basilici (FOB) in order to evaluate the shift in fungal population by using culture dependent and culture independent methods. Solarization was carried out with transparent polyethylene film during a summer period on a greenhouse located in Northern Italy, in combination or not with Brassica carinata defatted seed meals and/or compost. Biosolarization treatment was carried out in a growth chamber by heating the substrate for 7 and 14 days at optimal (55–52 °C for 6 h, 50–48 °C for 8 h and 47–45 °C for 10 h/day) and sub-optimal (50–48 °C for 20 h, 45–43 °C for 8 h and 40–38 °C for 10 h/day) temperatures. Plate counts and polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of biosolarization on the microbial population. The abundance of FOC and FOB were reduced as a consequence of biosolarization approach, while bacterial population (total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp.) were higher compared to control samples during the experiment. PCR-DGGE fingerprints of the ascomycete community obtained from DNA directly extracted from infested substrate samples showed that the use of organic amendments increased the similarity of the fungal population.