Answer:
What hypothesis were the researchers testing in this study? The disease-suppressive properties of soils are due to the activities of soil microorganisms.
Explanation:
Scientists wanted to know if microorganisms protect against crop disease. Researchers tried to figure out if microorganisms were responsible for the protective effects of disease-suppressive soils. The spil layer surrounding plant roots is called. When plants are attacked by fungal or bacterial pathogens, soil from the rhizosphere may protect them from future attacks.