Abstract
The endophytic fungi Serendipita indica and S. vermifera have recently gained increasing attention due to their beneficial effects on plant growth and plant health. Little is known about other species, such as S. williamsii and S. herbamans. To test their biocontrol and growth-promoting potential, susceptible and tolerant tomato cultivars (Kremser Perle and Micro-Tom, respectively) were inoculated with S. williamsii, S. herbamans, S. indica, or S. vermifera and challenged with the soilborne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) in greenhouse experiments. Furthermore, in vitro assays on the direct inhibitory effects of Serendipita spp. against Fol were performed. Negative effects of Fol on phenological growth in the susceptible cultivar were alleviated by all four applied Serendipita spp. Apart from these similar effects on biometric parameters, disease incidence was only reduced by S. herbamans and S. vermifera. In the tolerant cultivar, disease parameters remained unaffected although shoot dry mass was negatively affected by S. vermifera. Direct effects of Serendipita spp. against Fol were not evident in the in vitro assays indicating an indirect effect via the host plant. Our results highlight the importance of identifying cultivar-specific effects in pathogen–endophyte–plant interactions to determine the most beneficial combinations.
Highlights
Fungal endophytes have recently gained increasing attention due to their growth-promoting and bioprotective properties
4-week-old cultures were added to 500 mL of liquid Käfer medium for S. indica and S. williamsii and to liquid malt yeast peptone (MYP) medium for S. herbamans and S. vermifera
S. williamsii and S. herbamans treatments remained in the leaf development stage (BBCH 19), whereas plants in the S. indica and S. vermifera treatments reached the flowering stage (BBCH 61)
Summary
Fungal endophytes have recently gained increasing attention due to their growth-promoting and bioprotective properties. The testing and exploitation of these fungi might offer new sources for biological control and disease management strategies. One group of endophytic fungi belonging to the family Serendipitaceae (formerly Sebacinales group B) includes such promising candidates and is able to associate with the roots of various plant species [1]. The most well-studied members are Serendipita indica Sebacina vermifera), representing only a small selection of the widespread fungi [1,2,3]
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