Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 277-290 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 283 rotation period or temporary fallowing is often a better option. During crop rotation, returning decomposed crop residues, growing green manure crops, and increasing soil organic matter can further improve soil quality. However, all organic materials should be fully decomposed before application to avoid oxygen deficiency in the root zone or the spread of soil-borne pathogens. 4.4 Pest and disease management Root rot is one of the most destructive diseases in A. macrocephala production. Severe infections cause rhizome decay, plant wilting, and even complete plant death, resulting in substantial yield losses. Because the medicinal part is the underground rhizome, pathogen infection directly reduces rhizome integrity and commercial value, even if the plant survives. Therefore, disease management should emphasize prevention and integrated control rather than relying on pesticide application after severe outbreaks have already occurred. Biological control has become an important approach for sustainable A. macrocephala production. Huang et al. (2021) reported that Trichoderma brevicompactum showed strong antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum, the main pathogen causing root rot in A. macrocephala. Under laboratory conditions, this fungus significantly inhibited pathogen mycelial growth and reduced disease development. Zhu et al. (2025) isolated Bacillus velezensis Amzn015 from healthy A. macrocephala plants. This bacterial strain effectively suppressed F. oxysporumand several other pathogenic fungi, promoted plant growth, enhanced root activity, and induced plant defense responses. Pot experiments further demonstrated that B. velezensis Amzn015 significantly reduced the incidence of root rot while improving overall plant performance (Figure 3). Figure 3 Pot experiment evaluating the biocontrol efficacy of strain Amzn015 against root rot of A. macrocephala. (A) Representative images of seedling phenotypes under different treatments. (CK: PBS control; F. o: F. oxysporuminoculation alone; Amzn015: Amzn015 treatment alone; F. o + Amzn015: combined treatment with Amzn015 and F. oxysporum.) (B-H) Disease progression and plant growth parameters were assessed 65 days post-inoculation, including: (B) disease index, (C) relative control efficacy, (D) disease incidence, (E) F. oxysporumbiomass, (F) seedling fresh weight, (G) shoot height, and (H) root length. (n = 6). ** p<0.01. ##p< 0.01 (Adopted from Zhu et al., 2025)
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