Understanding How Friendly Fungi Help Tomatoes Fight Off Harmful Diseases

Jim Crocker
27th August, 2024

Understanding How Friendly Fungi Help Tomatoes Fight Off Harmful Diseases

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute explored using Trichoderma asperellum A10 to control collar rot disease in tomato plants
  • T. asperellum A10 achieved a 94.66% inhibition rate of the pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii in lab tests and over 80% effectiveness in greenhouse trials
  • Pre-treatment with T. asperellum A10 significantly boosted tomato plants' defense genes, enhancing their resistance to diseases
The increasing preference for biological control agents over chemical treatments in managing plant diseases has led to significant research into the use of Trichoderma species. These fungi are known for their effectiveness against soil-borne pathogens. A recent study conducted by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute explored the use of a highly antagonistic strain, Trichoderma asperellum A10, against the virulent pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii Sr38[1]. This study sheds light on the potential of T. asperellum A10 in controlling collar rot disease in tomato plants and enhancing plant defense mechanisms through microbial priming. The study identified and confirmed the strains of T. asperellum and S. rolfsii through various genetic sequences. In vitro and in planta experiments were conducted to compare the antagonistic potential of T. asperellum A10 with other antagonistic fungi and chemical fungicides. The results were promising, with T. asperellum A10 achieving a 94.66% inhibition rate of S. rolfsii in dual culture assays. Furthermore, greenhouse trials using the tomato variety Pusa Ruby demonstrated significant disease inhibition with T. asperellum A10, achieving 86.17% pre-inoculation and 80.60% post-inoculation effectiveness. This performance surpassed that of other fungi like T. harzianum and chemical fungicides such as Propiconazole and Carbendazim. The study also delved into the concept of microbial priming, where plants are treated with beneficial microbes to enhance their defense responses. Pre-treatment of tomato plants with T. asperellum A10 led to the significant upregulation of several defense-related genes. These genes are associated with various signaling pathways, including salicylic acid (SA)-mediated and jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET)-mediated responses. Notably, the upregulation was particularly evident at 48 hours post-inoculation in A10-primed plants challenged with S. rolfsii, indicating an induced resistance against collar rot disease. Previous studies have highlighted the beneficial interactions between plants and rhizocompetent microorganisms. For instance, Trichoderma erinaceum has been shown to modulate the defense transcriptome of tomato plants when challenged with Fusarium oxysporum, resulting in enhanced accumulation of defense-related WRKY transcripts and increased antioxidative enzyme activities[2]. Similarly, Trichoderma longibrachiatum has been demonstrated to confer beneficial agronomic traits to onion plants and induce defense mechanisms against Fusarium oxysporum through the accumulation of key metabolites[3]. The current study expands on these findings by demonstrating the effectiveness of T. asperellum A10 in not only controlling a different pathogen, S. rolfsii, but also in significantly enhancing plant defense responses through microbial priming. The upregulation of defense-related genes such as PR1, PR2, PR3, PR5, PR12, and various enzymes and proteins indicates a robust activation of the plant's immune system. These genes are involved in signaling pathways that help the plant respond to stressors and protect against diseases. Moreover, the study underscores the role of jasmonates, a class of phytohormones derived from fatty acids, in plant defense mechanisms. Jasmonates are known to play crucial roles in alleviating various biotic and abiotic stresses by participating in numerous signal transduction pathways[4]. The upregulation of genes associated with jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET)-mediated responses in T. asperellum A10-primed plants further supports the pivotal role of jasmonates in enhancing plant resistance to pathogens. In conclusion, the study conducted by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute provides valuable insights into sustainable disease management strategies through the use of T. asperellum A10. The findings highlight the potential of this highly antagonistic strain in controlling collar rot disease in tomato plants and enhancing plant defense mechanisms through microbial priming. This research not only builds on previous studies but also offers a promising alternative to chemical treatments, contributing to the development of more sustainable agricultural practices.

GeneticsBiochemPlant Science

References

Main Study

1) Deciphering the defense response in tomato against Sclerotium rolfsii by Trichoderma asperellum strain A10 through gene expression analysis.

Published 27th August, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-024-04040-4

Related Studies

2) Trichoderma erinaceum Bio-Priming Modulates the WRKYs Defense Programming in Tomato Against the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) Challenged Condition.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00911

3) Dissection of Trichoderma longibrachiatum-induced defense in onion (Allium cepa L.) against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepa by target metabolite profiling.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.02.008

4) Jasmonic Acid Signaling Pathway in Response to Abiotic Stresses in Plants.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21020621


Related Articles

An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙