Mycoparasitic nature of Egyptian Trichoderma isolates and their impact on suppression Fusarium wilt of tomato

Abstract

Abstract Background Plant disease administration is difficult due to the soil-borne nature of the phytopathogens. Biological control of plant disease is a safe mode to avoid the problems related to fungal diseases that affect crops productivity. Results Twenty-three Trichoderma isolates were isolated from soil, surrounding healthy tomato roots from different regions in the Egyptian Governorate of Menoufia. Using a dual culture method to test the efficiency of Trichoderma isolates, the most effective isolate identified as Trichoderma atrovirde with percentage inhibition against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (92.11%) and scanning electron microscope examination documented the mycoparasitic nature of T. atrovirde to F. oxysporum. Treatments with 10% filtrate T. atrovirde improved the growth aspects of tomato plants than the control plants or infected only, as well as the increase in phenol content (15.09 ug. g-1dry weight) and decreased disease incidence percentage (8%) than the plants infected only (60%). Conclusions This study clearly demonstrated that T. atrovirde had a significant inhibition against F. oxysporum. Greenhouse assays displayed the protective role of T. atrovirde inoculation directly against pathogen or indirectly related to the defense mechanism in the plant. So, this study recommends using T. atrovirde for biological control of wilt disease in tomato plants.

Keywords

• Fusarium oxysporum
• Trichoderma spp.
• Biological control
• Mycoparasitism
• Tomato