Abstract
Presently, the bioprocessing of agricultural residues to various bioactive compounds is of great concern, with the potential to be used as plant growth promoters and as a reductive of various diseases. Lycopersicon esculentum, one of the most consumed crops in the human diet, is attacked by Fusarium wilt disease, so the main aim is to biocontrol the pathogen. Several fungal species were isolated from decayed maize stover (MS). Trichoderma asperellum was chosen based on its organic acid productivity and was molecularly identified (GenBank accession number is MW195019). Citric acid (CA) was the major detected organic acid by HPLC. In vitro, CA of T. asperellum at 75% completely repressed the growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL). In vivo, soaking tomato seeds in CA enhanced the seed germination and vigor index. T. asperellum and/or its CA suppressed the wilt disease caused by FOL compared to control. There was a proportional increment of plant growth and yield, as well as improvements in the biochemical parameters (chlorophyll pigments, total phenolic contents and peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase activities), suggesting targeting both the bioconversion of MS into CA and biological control of FOL.
Highlights
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most significant vegetable crops grown in the world
All the genera were represented by one species except Aspergillus, which was represented by five species, and Fusarium by two species
The antagonism of T. asperellum against Fusarium wilt disease of the tomato might be supported in a multivariate model, such as the production of Citric acid (CA), anti-fusarium agents, and/or producing growth-promoting substances
Summary
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most significant vegetable crops grown in the world. In Sauda Arabia, the cultivated area for this crop is around 13,055 ha, yielding around 332,608 tons with productivity of 25.48 t/ha [2]. The tomato plant is infected by diverse destructive diseases that drastically influence its growth and yield. Fusarium wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Lycopersici (Sacc.) W.C. Snyder and H.N. Hansen, is the limiting factor and widespread disease of the cultivated tomato. Lycopersici isolates influencing tomatoes has been grouped into three races according to their capability to infect a varying set of cultivars, having distinct resistance loci. Races 1 and 2 are circulated worldwide, whereas race 3 has a narrow geographic distribution [5]
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