Evaluation of biological control of fusarium wilt in gerbera with Trichoderma asperellum

Daiani Brandler,Rodrigo José Tonin,Luan Junior Divensi,Paola Mendes Milanesi,Ines Rezendes,Thalita Pedrozo Pilla

doi:10.14295/oh.v23i3.1047

Daiani Brandler, Rodrigo José Tonin + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.14295/oh.v23i3.1047

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Abstract

The increase in flower cultivation in recent years has been reflecting the higher incidence of soil pathogens that can cause serious problems. This study aimed to evaluate the biological control of Fusarium wilt in gerbera with Trichoderma asperellum. The evaluated treatments were: T1) Control, only sterile substrate; T2) Substrate + Fusarium oxysporum; T3) Substrate + Fusarium oxysporum + Trichoderma asperellum; and T4) Substrate + Trichoderma asperellum. For this, the pathogen was isolated from gerbera with disease symptoms and, subsequently, it was identified according to morphological characters. Furthermore, the degree of antagonism of T. asperellum against F. oxysporum was evaluated through the culture pairing test. For greenhouse evaluations, commercial autoclaved substrate was used and infested with corn grains infected by the pathogen. Morphological identification confirmed the pathogen species as Fusarium oxysporum. In the culture pairing test, it was found that T. asperellum did not present a high degree of antagonism. The plants cultivated on substrate infested by the pathogen had no visible symptoms of wilt, but the substrate infestation with the pathogen provided lower values of fresh and dry mass of shoots and roots. The treatment with T. asperellum obtained higher values of fresh and dry mass of both shoots and roots, and also more vigorous inflorescences in relation to the plants treated with the pathogen

Highlights

There is an increased search for new techniques that will improve both the quality and the production of flowers, making floriculture a profitable activity (ARIEIRA et al, 2008)
Considering the absence of fungicides registered for the control of Fusarium wilt in gerbera and the difficulty of its management, the objective of this work was to verify if the biological control with Trichoderma asperellum Samuels, Lieckf. & Nirenberg 1999, has efficiency in disease control
In the culture pairing test, Trichoderma asperellum did not exercise total antagonism on Fusarium oxysporum, obtaining note 3 according to the classes of antagonism (BELL et al, 1982)

Summary

Introduction

There is an increased search for new techniques that will improve both the quality and the production of flowers, making floriculture a profitable activity (ARIEIRA et al, 2008) In this sense, gerberas (Gerbera jamesonii Bollus ex Hooker F.) are flowers that can be grown in pots as well as in gardens, flowerbeds and greenhouses, as they have good climatic adaptation and they can be grown in different regions. Gerberas (Gerbera jamesonii Bollus ex Hooker F.) are flowers that can be grown in pots as well as in gardens, flowerbeds and greenhouses, as they have good climatic adaptation and they can be grown in different regions They exhibit good durability, resistance to transport and are highly appreciated by customers for their intense, vibrant and diverse colors (GUERRERO et al, 2012). Freire et al (2009) verified the existence of several soil pathogens associated with ornamental plants, V. 23, No 3, 2017, p. 234-239 and suggested that due to the low technological knowledge of some producers, it is difficult to apply acceptable control techniques

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