article · Microorganisms
Researchers isolated 111 Trichoderma fungal strains from the root soil of an ancient wheat variety grown organically in Tunisia. Genetic sequencing categorised these isolates into six distinct species across the groups Trichoderma afroharzianum, Trichoderma lixii, Trichoderma atrobrunneum, and Trichoderma lentinulae. Six selected strains were evaluated for their ability to promote plant growth and control Fusarium seedling blight caused by the pathogen Fusarium culmorum. All tested strains promoted plant development through the production of ammonia and indole-like compounds. They also inhibited pathogen growth in laboratory tests using lytic enzymes alongside diffusible and volatile organic compounds. When applied as seed coatings on a modern wheat variety, the fungi improved biomass, chlorophyll, and nitrogen levels while reducing disease symptoms. In addition, the treatments activated plant defence genes linked to salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.
Fungal diseases such as Fusarium seedling blight can severely harm crop yields, often leading to heavy reliance on chemical treatments. By demonstrating that naturally occurring soil fungi can boost wheat development and trigger natural plant defences against infection, this work highlights biological options that could support sustainable agriculture and reduce reliance on synthetic chemical inputs.
The research points towards biological seed coatings and biofertilisers for cereal growers and agricultural input manufacturers. Evaluated through in vitro assays and initial in planta seed-coating tests on wheat seedlings, the technology represents applied and tested research that requires further field-scale trials and formulation development before commercial deployment.
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Beneficial microorganisms, including members of the Trichoderma genus, are known for their ability to promote plant growth and disease resistance, as well as being alternatives to synthetic inputs in agriculture. In this study, 111 Trichoderma strains were isolated from the rhizospheric soil of Florence Aurore, an ancient wheat variety that was cultivated in an organic farming system in Tunisia. A preliminary ITS analysis allowed us to cluster these 111 isolates into three main groups, T. harzianum (74 isolates), T. lixii (16 isolates) and T. sp. (21 isolates), represented by six different species. Their multi-locus analysis (tef1, translation elongation factor 1; rpb2, RNA polymerase B) identified three T. afroharzianum, one T. lixii, one T. atrobrunneum and one T. lentinulae species. These six new strains were selected to determine their suitability as plant growth promoters (PGP) and biocontrol agents (BCA) against Fusarium seedling blight disease (FSB) in wheat caused by Fusarium culmorum. All of the strains exhibited PGP abilities correlated to ammonia and indole-like compound production. In terms of biocontrol activity, all of the strains inhibited the development of F. culmorum in vitro, which is linked to the production of lytic enzymes, as well as diffusible and volatile organic compounds. An in planta assay was carried out on the seeds of a Tunisian modern wheat variety (Khiar) by coating them with Trichoderma. A significant increase in biomass was observed, which is associated with increased chlorophyll and nitrogen. An FSB bioprotective effect was confirmed for all strains (with Th01 being the most effective) by suppressing morbid symptoms in germinated seeds and seedlings, as well as by limiting F. culmorum aggressiveness on overall plant growth. Plant transcriptome analysis revealed that the isolates triggered several SA- and JA-dependent defense-encoding genes involved in F. culmorum resistance in the roots and leaves of three-week-old seedlings. This finding makes these strains very promising in promoting growth and controlling FSB disease in modern wheat varieties.
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DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061512
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