In vitro and in planta analysis of Trichoderma asperellum (Tv1) against
Fusarium wilt and its associated nematode of Tomato
Abstract
Wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum and Meloidogyne incognita
significantly affects tomato crops, reducing yields by up to 40%. This
study evaluated a biocontrol agent with fungicidal and nematicidal
properties. Four Trichoderma isolates were identified: Trichoderma
asperellum Tv1, Trichoderma asperelloides Tasd1, Trichoderma harzianum
Th1, and Trichoderma koningiopsis Tk1. Tv1 effectively inhibited the
mycelial growth of F. oxysporum isolates (TF-N, TF-P, and TF-S) by
75.53%, 77.41%, and 79.53%, respectively. The crude metabolite of TV1
had similar effects. The mortality rate of M. incognita J2s ranged from
90.48% to 100% after 24 to 72 hours of incubation, and compared with
that of the control, the inhibition of egg hatching reached 90.20%. The
shoot length (47.86±0.211 cm), root length (17.59±0.129 cm), fresh
weight (18.37±0.283 g), and dry weight (1.95±0.011 g) of the tomato
plants treated with Tv1 conidia increased. In a pot experiment, Tv1
treatment reduced wilt disease incidence by 64.57%, comparable to
carbendazim treatment (82.32%). Tv1-treated plants had fewer root galls
(18.2±1.166), egg masses (13.8±1.166), and J2s per gram of roots
(21.4±3.929) than did the inoculated-untreated control plants
(46.6±3.262 galls/plant, 38.8±1.721 egg masses/100 g of root, and
67.4±2.577 J2s/100 g of root). The root-knot index (RKI) was
significantly lower in plants treated with furadon (3.36±0.350) and Tv1
(4.58±0.515) than in the control (5.8±0.4). The bio-control efficiency
of Tv1 against M. incognita was 21.04%, and the reproductive factor
(RF) of the nematodes decreased to 0.53 in the Tv1 treatment group and
0.39 in the furadon treatment group, while it decreased to 1.69 in the
control group. Based on the findings above, it was established that Tv1
effectively controlled nematode populations and reduced wilt disease
when applied to the soil.