<i>Trichoderma atroviride</i> Enhances <i>Impatiens walleriana</i> Hook. f Growth and Flowering in Different Growing Media
Silvia Traversari,
Mariateresa Cardarelli,
Massimo Brambilla,
Maurizio Cutini,
Gianluca Burchi,
Marco Fedrizzi,
Daniele Massa,
Alessandro Orlandini,
Sonia Cacini
Affiliations
Silvia Traversari
Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Mariateresa Cardarelli
Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo De Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Massimo Brambilla
Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via Milano 43, 24027 Treviglio, Bergamo, Italy
Maurizio Cutini
Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via Milano 43, 24027 Treviglio, Bergamo, Italy
Gianluca Burchi
Research Centre for Vegetables and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via dei Fiori 8, 51017 Pescia, Pistoia, Italy
Marco Fedrizzi
Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
Daniele Massa
Research Centre for Vegetables and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via dei Fiori 8, 51017 Pescia, Pistoia, Italy
Alessandro Orlandini
Research Centre for Engineering and Agro-Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via della Pascolare 16, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
Sonia Cacini
Research Centre for Vegetables and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Via dei Fiori 8, 51017 Pescia, Pistoia, Italy
Trichoderma spp. are widely reported to regulate plant growth by improving nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and abiotic stress tolerance. However, their possible application for bedding plants is little explored, especially when comparing different growing media. Considering that coconut coir dust is finding broader application in the ornamental plants sector as a peat substitute, this work was aimed to test the combination of Trichoderma atroviride AT10 and coconut coir dust on Impatiens walleriana plants. Four treatments were tested as a mix of: (i) two growing media (70:30), peat:perlite or coconut coir dust:perlite; and (ii) the absence or presence of a T. atroviride treatment. At the end of the production cycle, the biomass and ornamental parameters, leaf pigments, nutrient content of the plant tissues, and Trichoderma abundance were assessed. The results revealed that T. atroviride can readily colonize coir, and the same positive effects of inoculum were found in plants grown on both substrates. The biostimulant effect of T. atroviride was observed as an increase in the aboveground biomass, number and weight of flowers, pigments and nutrient concentration, thereby improving the commercial quality of I. walleriana. Thus, T. atroviride has shown its potential in making bedding plant cultivation more sustainable and improving the yield and aesthetic parameters of plants grown on peat and coconut coir dust substrates.
