Influence of Foliar Treatment with Suspensions Rich in <i>Trichoderma</i> Chlamydospores on <i>Momordica charantia</i> Physiology, Yield, and Quality
Ioana-Alexandra Bala,
Tatiana Eugenia Șesan,
Anca Oancea,
Oana Craciunescu,
Marius Ghiurea,
Iuliana Răut,
Bogdan Trică,
Cristian-Andi Nicolae,
Diana Constantinescu-Aruxandei,
Florin Oancea
Affiliations
Ioana-Alexandra Bala
Bioresources, Biotechnology and Polymer Departments, National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, Splaiul Independenței nr. 202, Sector 6, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Tatiana Eugenia Șesan
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Aleea Portocalilor nr. 1-3, Sector 6, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
Anca Oancea
Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Research & Development Institute for Biological Sciences, Splaiul Independenței 296, Sector 6, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Oana Craciunescu
Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Research & Development Institute for Biological Sciences, Splaiul Independenței 296, Sector 6, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Marius Ghiurea
Bioresources, Biotechnology and Polymer Departments, National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, Splaiul Independenței nr. 202, Sector 6, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Iuliana Răut
Bioresources, Biotechnology and Polymer Departments, National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, Splaiul Independenței nr. 202, Sector 6, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Bogdan Trică
Bioresources, Biotechnology and Polymer Departments, National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, Splaiul Independenței nr. 202, Sector 6, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Cristian-Andi Nicolae
Bioresources, Biotechnology and Polymer Departments, National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, Splaiul Independenței nr. 202, Sector 6, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Diana Constantinescu-Aruxandei
Bioresources, Biotechnology and Polymer Departments, National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, Splaiul Independenței nr. 202, Sector 6, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Florin Oancea
Bioresources, Biotechnology and Polymer Departments, National Research & Development Institute for Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, Splaiul Independenței nr. 202, Sector 6, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Several strategies promote phyllosphere colonization by soil-born Trichoderma plant-beneficial strains. One of these strategies is foliar spraying with suspensions containing large amounts of chlamydospores—spores with thick cell wall structures that make them highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions. Trichoderma biomass was produced by cultivation on a cornmeal medium and compared with the biomass produced on potato dextrose broth by microscopic and thermogravimetric analyses. The analyses revealed increased chlamydospore content and thermostability in the fungal biomass produced on the corn meal medium. The Trichoderma suspension rich in chlamydospores was sprayed on bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) leaves at two inoculant concentrations, 106 and 108 ufc/mL. The effect of these treatments on the plant physiological parameters, leaf photosynthetic pigments, polyphenol and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activities of the leaves and fruits, and yield was compared to the control (plants sprayed with water) and to the experimental treatment involving spraying with 108 ufc/mL of propagules produced in potato dextrose broth. The effect of chlamydospore-rich suspensions on plant physiological parameters was more pronounced and long-lasting compared with the other treatments. The treatment with chlamydospore-rich suspension enhanced the accumulation of polyphenols and flavonoids in the leaves (by 17% and 50%, respectively) and fruits (by 18% and 31%, respectively) and increased the antioxidant activity. The Trichoderma treatment increased the yield by +25.33–53.07%. The application of the foliar treatment with Trichoderma suspensions did not modify the cytocompatibility of the extracts from the fruits determined on the L929 cells.
