Root inoculation with beneficial micro-organisms as a means to control Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in two Greek landraces of tomato grown on perlite

摘要

A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the ability of an isolate of Trichoderma harzianum (T-22), an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus [Glomus intraradices) and a strain of the gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (FZB42) to control wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato grown on substrates. Two local tomato landraces were used to test the ability of these microorganisms to act as biocontrol agents. The tomato seeds were disinfected and sown in a sterilized mixture of peat and perlite (1:1). The obtained seedlings were grown hydroponically in plastic pots filled with perlite for 14 weeks. The root system was inoculated with the tested microorganisms using commercially available inoculants according tothe manufacturers' instructions. Plant roots were inoculated twice with F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici BPIC-2550 (provided by Benaki phytopathological Institute, Athens GR), particularly on the date of transplanting and one month later. Plants inoculated with B. amyloliquefaciens exhibited significantly lower F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici infection compared with the other treatments and the control. The application of B. amyloliquefaciens as a biocontrol agent played an important role in reducing damage and exhibited greater potential to protect tomato plants grown on substrates against infection by F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.