Plant Growth-promoting Fungi Research Articles

Enrichment of organic compost with beneficial microorganisms and yield performance of corn and wheat

ABSTRACT Enrichment with beneficial microorganisms may increase the benefits of organic compost. The aim of this study was to evaluate the enrichment of a mature compost with plant growth-promoting bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Rhizophagus clarus), using brachiaria (Urochloa brizantha) as host plant, totaling seven treatments: control (compost with no bacteria, brachiaria or mycorrhizal fungus); compost + brachiaria; compost + brachiaria + mycorrhizal fungus; compost + brachiaria + mycorrhizal fungus + Azorhizobium sp.; compost + brachiaria + mycorrhizal fungus + Azoarcus sp.; compost + brachiaria + mycorrhizal fungus + Bacillus subtilis; and compost + brachiaria + mycorrhizal fungus + Azotobacter sp., in a completely randomized design with three replicates. Brachiaria shoot biomass, N and P concentrations, mycorrhizal colonization, and chemical characteristics of the compost were assessed five times over 183 days. B. subtilis and Azotobacter increased ammonium-N concentration in the compost in two and three sampling dates, respectively. In contrast, Azotobacter and Azoarcus decreased the concentrations of nitrate-N in at least one sampling. Despite high P availability in the compost (951-2927 mg kg-1), mycorrhizal colonization reached up to 53%. In a field trial with the produced composts, in a randomized block design with six repetitions, the composts with brachiaria doubled the mycorrhizal colonization of corn (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), independent of the growth-promoting bacteria and, depending on the associated bacteria, increased grain yields.

RESPONSE to Trichoderma spp. ON SEED VIGOR INDEX AND DRY WEIGHT OF RICE VARIETY SIRANDAH BATUAMPA VARIETY

Rice is a staple food crop for some Indonesians. To increase rice production, various efforts have been made, one of which is seed priming using biofertilizers. Biofertilizer or biological fertilizer uses microorganisms that are used as plant growth boosters. The microorganisms used to act as PGPF (Plant Growth Promoting Fungi) are Trichoderma spp. Trichoderma spp. widely used because it can trigger plant growth. This study aims to determine the response of Trichoderma spp. to the seed vigor index and dry weight of rice sprouts of sirandah batuampa variety. The research method is experimental research using a completely randomized design (CRD) with 6 treatments and 3 replications. Parameters observed were seed vigor index and sprouts dry weight. The results showed that Trichoderma spp. had no significant effect on seed vigor index and sprouts dry weight. Judging from the mean value, the seed vigor index of SBT, SRBA, and KRT had better values ​​than the control, as well as the dry weight of sprouts with the provision of SBT, SRBA, and SB isolates. This shows Trichoderma spp. This gave a positive response to the Sirandah Batuampa variety.

Method for the Production and Purification of Plant Immuno-Active Xylanase from Trichoderma.

Plants lack a circulating adaptive immune system to protect themselves against pathogens. Therefore, they have evolved an innate immune system based upon complicated and efficient defense mechanisms, either constitutive or inducible. Plant defense responses are triggered by elicitors such as microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). These components are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which include plant cell surface receptors. Upon recognition, PRRs trigger pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). Ethylene Inducing Xylanase (EIX) is a fungal MAMP protein from the plant-growth-promoting fungi (PGPF)–Trichoderma. It elicits plant defense responses in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), making it an excellent tool in the studies of plant immunity. Xylanases such as EIX are hydrolytic enzymes that act on xylan in hemicellulose. There are two types of xylanases: the endo-1, 4-β-xylanases that hydrolyze within the xylan structure, and the β-d-xylosidases that hydrolyze the ends of the xylan chain. Xylanases are mainly synthesized by fungi and bacteria. Filamentous fungi produce xylanases in high amounts and secrete them in liquid cultures, making them an ideal system for xylanase purification. Here, we describe a method for cost- and yield-effective xylanase production from Trichoderma using wheat bran as a growth substrate. Xylanase produced by this method possessed xylanase activity and immunogenic activity, effectively inducing a hypersensitive response, ethylene biosynthesis, and ROS burst.

Harnessing the Rhizosphere of the Halophyte Grass Aeluropus littoralis for Halophilic Plant-Growth-Promoting Fungi and Evaluation of Their Biostimulant Activities.

Hydroponic systems have gained interest and are increasingly used in hot and dry desert areas. Numbers of benefits are offered by hydroponic systems such as the ability to save water, enhance nutrients use efficiency, easy environmental control, and prevention of soil-borne diseases. However, the high consumption of chemical fertilizers for nutrient solution and the sensitivity of closed hydroponic systems to salinity are issues that need solutions. Thus, the main goal of our research activities is to isolate plant growth promoting fungi in order to develop sustainable hydroponic systems. We are working on isolating and testing the possibility to incorporate the cell-free filtrate (CFF) of plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF) in the composition of the nutrient solution. In this work, we isolated six strains of PGPF from the rhizosphere of the halophyte grass Aeluropus littoralis. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences amplified by ITS1 and ITS4 primers identified the isolated fungi as: Byssochlamys spectabilis, Chaetomium globosum, Cephalotheca foveolata, Penicillium melinii, Alternaria tenuissima, and Nigrospora chinensis. The promoting of vigor in tobacco seedlings was used as criteria to evaluate the biostimulant activity of these fungi by adding either their mycelia (DE: direct effect) or their cell-free filtrates (CFF: indirect effect) to the plant-growth media. The best significant growth stimulation was obtained with plants treated by B. spectabilis. However, only the CFFs of Byssochlamys spectabilis (A5.1) and Penicillium melinii (A8) when added at a dilution factor of 1/50 to half-strength nutritive solution (0.5NS) resulted in significant improvement of all assessed growth parameters. Indeed, the A5.1CFF and A8CFF in 0.5NS induced a significant better increase in the biomass production when compared to NS or 0.5NS alone. All fungi produced indole acetic acid in the CFFs, which could be one of the key factors explaining their biostimulant activities. Furthermore, six genes involved in nitrogen-metabolism (NR1 and NRT1), auxin biosynthesis (Tryp1 and YUCCA6-like), and brassinosteroid biosynthesis (DET2 and DWF4) were shown to be induced in roots or leaves following treatment of plants with the all CFFs. This work opens up a prospect to study in deep the biostimulant activity of PGPFs and their applications to decrease the requirement of chemical fertilizers in the hydroponic growing systems.

Trichoderma asperellum Inoculation as a Tool for Attenuating Drought Stress in Sugarcane.

Drought stress is an important concern worldwide which reduces crop yield and quality. To alleviate this problem, Trichoderma asperellum has been used as a plant growth-promoting fungus capable of inducing plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we examined the effect of T. asperellum inoculation on sugarcane plant above and belowground development under drought stress and investigated the role of this fungus on inducing tolerance to drought at physiological and biochemical levels. The experiment was performed in pots under greenhouse conditions, with four treatments and four replicates. The treatments consisted of sugarcane plants inoculated or not with T. asperellum and grown under drought stress and adequate water availability. Drought-stressed sugarcane plants inoculated with T. asperellum changed the crop nutrition and chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, resulting in increased photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency compared to the non-inoculated plants. In addition, the antioxidant metabolism also changed, increasing the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase enzyme activities, as well as the proline concentration and sugar portioning. These cascade effects enhanced the root and stalk development, demonstrating that T. asperellum inoculation is an important tool in alleviating the negative effects of drought stress in sugarcane. Future studies should be performed to elucidate if T. asperellum should be reapplied to the sugarcane ratoons.

Spore production in the solid-state fermentation of stevia residue by Trichoderma guizhouense and its effects on corn growth

Trichoderma is an important and widely used plant growth-promoting fungus (PGPF). In this study, stevia residue amended with amino acids hydrolyzed from animal carcasses was used for the production of Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU 4742 by solid-state fermentation, and then its potential to promote corn plant growth was evaluated in combination with chemical fertilizer (CF) or organic fertilizer (OF). The highest spore number of 7×109 CFU g−1 fresh weight was obtained under the following optimal parameters: material ratio of 50% (stevia residue:rice bran=1:1), pH value of 3.0 (amended with 6.67% amino acids), initial moisture content of 60%, inoculum size of 10%, material thickness of 3 cm and an incubation time of 4 days. The aboveground corn plant biomass obtained with T. guizhouense applied alone and with CF treatments were slightly higher than those of no fertilizer control and CF treatments, respectively. However, T. guizhouense applied with OF significantly (P<0.05) increased aboveground biomass compared to OF and yielded the highest aboveground biomass among all the treatments. Moreover, T. guizhouense applications primarily influenced the fungal bulk soil community composition, among which three OTUs (OTU_2 and OTU_9 classified as Chaetomium, and OTU_4 classified as Trichoderma) were stimulated in both bulk and rhizosphere soil. Notably, a specific OTU_3 (Phymatotrichopsis) was only stimulated by T. guizhouense applied with OF, possibly leading to high soil productivity. These results show that it is feasible to employ stevia residue in the eco-friendly fermentation of T. guizhouense, which is strongly suggested for enhancing OF applications.

Investigating the effect of Aspergillus niger inoculated press mud (biofertilizer) on the potential of enhancing maize (Zea mays. L) yield, potassium use efficiency and potassium agronomic efficiency

Globally field application of mineral potassium (K) fertilizer has grown, followed by reduced K use efficiency (KUE) and K agronomic efficiency (KAE) which ultimately leads to environmental pollution and economic loss. The soils of Pakistan have a low K level due to a higher proportion is present in an unavailable form. The objective of the current study was to isolate efficient plant growth-promoting fungus to sustainably manage huge burden of sugar industry waste press mud into a productive biofertilizer. K from biofertilizer was then evaluated in different treatments for maize biological yield, grain yield, harvest index (HI), K uptake in different maize parts, KUE and KAE in comparison to mineral fertilizer (MF). The efficiency of treatment was measured on higher KUE and KAE. In-vitro studies revealed that A. niger PM-4 was found to solubilize phosphate (389 ug/ml) and zinc (115 ug/ml) from insoluble tri-calcium phosphate and zinc oxide, respectively, at a wider temperature and pH range. The strain was also found to inhibit the production of aflatoxins and its inoculation into press mud produced non-phytotoxic and mature biofertilizer with germination index 96.5%. Bio-augmentation of press mud with A. niger shortens maturity period with improved nutrient contents. Higher grain yield and harvest index of maize were achieved with a higher amount of incorporated K from mineral and biofertilizer T5(100%Org+50%MF) than any other treatment. However, higher KUE and KAE were found in the following order: T6 > T5 > T2 > T3 > T4 > T1, demonstrating the integrated and balanced use of K from mineral and biofertilizer without threatening the environment.

Trichoderma harzianum Strain T22 Modulates Direct Defense of Tomato Plants in Response to Nezara viridula Feeding Activity

Plant growth-promoting fungi belonging to genus Trichoderma are known to help plants when dealing with biotic stressors by enhancing plant defenses. While beneficial effects of Trichoderma spp. against plant pathogens have long been documented, fewer studies have investigated their effect on insect pests. Here, we studied the impact of Trichoderma root colonization on the plant defense responses against stink bug feeding attack. For this purpose, a model system consisting of tomato plant, Solanum lycopersicum cv Dwarf San Marzano, Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 and the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula, was used. We firstly determined stink bug performance in terms of relative growth rate and survival on tomato plants inoculated by T. harzianum T22. Then, we evaluated relative expression of plant defense-related genes on inoculated plants induced by stink bug feeding. We found evidence that T. harzianum T22 affects tomato defense responses against N. viridula nymphs leading to reduction of growth rate. Our results also showed that T. harzianum T22 enhances plant direct defenses by an early increase of transcript levels of jasmonic acid marker genes. Yet this effect was time-dependent and only detected 8 h after herbivore induction. Taken together, our findings provide better understanding on the mechanisms underlying tomato induced resistance against herbivorous stink bugs.

Plant growth promoting potential of endophytic Aspergillus niger 9-p isolated from native forage grass in Pantanal of Nhecolândia region, Brazil

The use of plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) is a more environmentally friendly strategy than the use of fertilizers and pesticides in the field. These beneficial fungi have direct and indirect mechanisms that promote plant growth and protection. This study aimed to biochemically characterize the fungal Aspergillus niger 9-P isolated from native forage grass in the Pantanal of Nhecolândia region, concerning the production of plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits. The production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was determined in relation to different physical-chemical parameters, phosphate solubilization, and production of siderophores by qualitative and quantitative methods. In addition, we investigated the production of ammonia, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and enzymes such as phosphatases, proteases, and other hydrolases (amylase, CMCase, pectinase, and xylanase) of agricultural interest. A pot experiment using common bean plants was carried out in a greenhouse for 30 days to evaluate the effect of the isolate on promoting plant growth. Briefly, the fungus showed the production of IAA (32.65 ± 1.26 µg mL-1), siderophores (88% of siderophore units after 10 days), and high phosphorus solubilizing activity (1138.85 µg mL-1). The isolate synthesized ACC deaminase, produced ammonia, and all other enzymes evaluated in this study. In addition, the results indicated that inoculation with the isolate provided higher values of height and fresh and dry mass of the aerial part and the root compared with the non-inoculated treatment of the common bean plant. The results of this study suggest the potential of the isolate A. niger 9-P for the formulation of biofertilizers aimed at promoting plant growth.

Chitin in Strawberry Cultivation: Foliar Growth and Defense Response Promotion, but Reduced Fruit Yield and Disease Resistance by Nutrient Imbalances.

Strawberry cultivation is associated with high mineral fertilizer doses and extensive use of chemical plant protection products. Based on previous research, we expected that chitin application to peat substrate would increase the nutrient availability and activate the plant systemic defense response, resulting in higher strawberry yields and fewer disease symptoms. We set up two experiments in which the temporal variability and differences in initial nutrient concentrations of the growing media were taken into account. Chitin treatment resulted in the attraction of plant growth-promoting fungi toward the plant root, such as species from genera Mortierella and Umbelopsis. In addition, by the end of the experiments 87 mg of mineral nitrogen (N) per liter of substrate was mineralized, which can be related to the observed increase in plant shoot biomass. This, however, led to nutrient imbalances in plant shoots and fruit; N concentration in the leaves increased over 30%, exceeding the optimal range, while phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) deficiencies occurred, with concentrations lower than 50% of the optimal range. This may explain the decreased fruit yield and disease resistance of the fruit toward Botrytis cinerea. In contrast, chitin caused a clear defense priming effect in the strawberry leaves, with a strong induction of the jasmonic acid response, resulting in fewer foliar disease symptoms. Chitin causes positive effects on shoot growth and foliar disease resistance, but caution needs to be taken for nutrient imbalances leading to negative influences on root growth, fruit production, and disease susceptibility toward B. cinerea.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Coupling thermophilic composting and vermicomposting processes to remove Cr from biogas residues and produce high value-added biofertilizers

Removing pollutants and producing high value-added products are essential steps for sustainable disposal and utilization of biogas residues. Here, a coupled thermophilic composting and vermicomposting process was used to remove Cr from biogas residues, and the composting products were co-fermented with the plant growth-promoting fungus Trichoderma to produce high value-added biofertilizers. The results showed that thermophilic composting for 37 d markedly increased the total content of Cr but decreased the percentage of available Cr fractions. Synchrotron-radiation-based observations further provided direct evidence of the binding sites to support the results from traditional sequential extraction. At a density of 60 g earthworm/kg biogas residues, vermicomposting removed 23–31% of Cr from biogas residues. After vermicomposting, co-fermentation of biogas residues and Trichoderma was optimized, in which Trichoderma spores were 2–5 × 108 cfu/g substrates. Together, coupling thermophilic composting and vermicomposting processes is a promising technique to remove a portion of heavy metals from biogas residues.

Combination on endophytic fungal as the Plant Growth-Promoting Fungi (PGPF) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Abstract. Syamsia S, Idhan A, Firmansyah AP, Noerfitryani N, Rahim I, Kesaulya H, Armus R. 2021. Combination on endophytic fungal as the Plant Growth-Promoting Fungi (PGPF) on Cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Biodiversitas 22: 1194-1202. Endophytic fungi are known to stimulate plant growth by producing secondary metabolites, including phytohormones (IAA and Gibberellins), siderophore, phosphate-solubilizing metabolites. In this study, a total of six endophytic fungi were successfully isolated from local rice plants and showed different abilities in producing secondary metabolites, during single isolates testing. These six isolates were then combined to obtain 15 combinations for analysis, to determine the best combination for application as a plant growth promoter. Subsequently, each combination was tested for phytohormones (IAA, gibberellins) and siderophore (quantitatively)-producing activity, phosphate-solubilizing ability, and the effect on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) plant growth. F13 showed activity in producing IAA and produced the highest gibberellin levels, while F1 exhibited the highest phosphate-solubilizing activity. In addition, F11 (Na-salicylate) and F1 (catechol) showed the highest siderophore activity, while a combination of F6, F8, F9, and F12 successfully increased plant height growth. Also, F4 increased the root growth, while the fresh weight of cucumber was increased by F8 treatment, under controlled conditions. Molecular analysis showed the tested isolates have close similarity to Daldinia eschscholtzii, Sarocladium oryzae, Rhizoctonia oryzae, Penicillium allahabadense, and Aspergillus foetidus. The combination of endophyte fungal isolates showed potential as plant growth promoters, however, further testing on several plant types is required before the combination is to be widely applied.

Response of shallots growth and yield to phosphate fertilizer and Trichoderma application on peat soil

Cultivating shallots on peat soils is quite challenging since it is considered less fertile regarding its high organic acid content and low nutrient availability. Trichoderma, as one of the plant-growth-promoting fungi (PGPF), is beneficial to promote shallots growth. However, there is still lack of information concerning its effectiveness and interaction effect with inorganic P fertilizer in peat soils. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Trichoderma application and P fertilization on the growth and yield of shallots on peat soils. A pot experiment arranged in a completely randomized design was conducted with two treatment factors. The first factor was P fertilizer comprised four application rates: 0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha−1. Meanwhile, as the second factor, Trichoderma treatment consisted of four application rates: 0, 2, 4, and 6 g plant−1. The results showed an interaction effect of P treatment and Trichoderma on shallots growth and yield. A treatment combination of 2 g plant−1 Trichoderma without P fertilizer addition increased yield by 34% compared to control. This yield was relatively similar to 100 kg ha−1 P fertilizer without Trichoderma addition. It is proved that the Trichoderma application could reduce inorganic P fertilizer input.

Decreased nitrous oxide emissions associated with functional microbial genes under bio-organic fertilizer application in vegetable fields

Bio-organic fertilizers enriched with plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPMs) have been widely used in crop fields to promote plant growth and maintain soil microbiome functions. However, their potential effects on N2O emissions are of increasing concern. In this study, an in situ measurement experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of organic fertilizer containing Trichoderma guizhouense (a plant growth-promoting fungus) on soil N2O emissions from a greenhouse vegetable field. The following four treatments were used: no fertilizer (control), chemical fertilizer (NPK), organic fertilizer derived from cattle manure (O), and organic fertilizer containing T guizhouense (O+T, referring to bio-organic fertilizer). The abundances of soil N cycling-related functional genes (amoA) from ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), as well as nirS, nirK, and nosZ, were simultaneously determined using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Compared to the NPK plot, seasonal total N2O emissions decreased by 11.7% and 18.7% in the O and O+T plots, respectively, which was attributed to lower NH4+-N content and AOB amoA abundance in the O and O+T plots. The nosZ abundance was significantly greater in the O+T plot, whilst the AOB amoA abundance was significantly lower in the O+T plot than in the O plot. Relative to the organic fertilizer, bio-organic fertilizer application tended to decrease N2O emissions by 7.9% and enhanced vegetable yield, resulting in a significant decrease in yield-scaled N2O emissions. Overall, the results of this study suggested that, compared to organic and chemical fertilizers, bio-organic fertilizers containing PGPMs could benefit crop yield and mitigate N2O emissions in vegetable fields.

A study on the impact of Plant Growth Promoting Fungus (PGPF) and Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) as biofertilizers for Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.

In this study, the effectiveness of plant growth promoting fungus (PGPF) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on Bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) was estimated. Germination study was conducted with Bhendi seeds treated in different PGPR and PGPF. The growth indices like vigour index, seedling growth, shoot length, root length, total leaf area, fresh weight and dry weight and yield parameters were taken into consideration for this experiment. All these morphological growth parameters gradually increased with PGPF and PGPR when compared to control. On the basis of germination study data, the best growth of bhendi seedling was recorded in PGPF followed by PGPR when compare with control.

Plant protection properties of the Plant GrowthPromoting Fungi (PGPF): Mechanisms and potentiality

Plant protection properties of the Plant GrowthPromoting Fungi (PGPF): Mechanisms and potentiality

Growth promotion and root development of Nicotiana tabacum L. by plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF)

Growth promotion and root development of <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i> L. by plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF)

Mortierella Species as the Plant Growth-Promoting Fungi Present in the Agricultural Soils

In the most recent scientific reports based on the DNA or RNA-analyses a widespread presence of the filamentous fungi, Mortierella in various environments has been shown. Some strains of this genus belong to the plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) and are found in the bulk soil, rhizosphere and plants tissues. These microorganisms are also often found in the extremely hostile environments, responsible for improving access to the bioavailable forms of P and Fe in the soils, the synthesis of phytohormones and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and last but not least the protection of agricultural plants from pathogens. Furthermore, earlier reports classified Mortierella spp. as the saprotrophic microorganisms isolated from the forest litter, and nowadays their status as a very valuable decomposers in the agricultural soils was confirmed. The key features like the ability to survive under very unfavorable environmental conditions and the utilization of carbon sources contained in polymers like cellulose, hemicellulose, chitin make these fungi efficient as the agricultural inoculants. The growing interest in the application of Mortierella spp. is mainly due to the potential use of this genus in the increase of the nutrient uptake efficiency, positive effect in crop protection against adverse conditions, and reduction of chemical fertilizers and pesticides applied. Moreover, activities of Mortierella species selected from the wild or cultivated plants influence the soil microbiota and support the performance of the beneficial microorganisms enhancing significantly crop yield.

The Influence of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai T-22 and Other Biostimulants on Rhizosphere Beneficial Microorganisms of Carrot

The principles of good agricultural and horticultural practice, which consider both giving environmental protection and high yielding of plants, require modern cultivation methods. Modern cultivation of horticultural plants uses, for example, cover crops, living mulches, plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs), plant growth regulators (PGRs) and other biostimulants protecting the soil against degradation and plants against phytopathogens and stress. The purpose of field and laboratory studies was to determine the effect of Trianum P (containing Trichoderma harzianum Rifai T-22 spores), Beta-Chikol (a.s.—chitosan), Timorex Gold 24 EC (based on tea tree oil) and fungicide Zaprawa Nasienna T 75 DS/WS (a.s.—tiuram 75%) on the health of carrot (Daucus carota L.) plants and the microorganism population in the rhizosphere of this plant. Moreover, the antagonistic effect of rhizosphere fungi on selected carrot fungal pathogens was determined. Laboratory mycological analysis allowed one to determine the qualitative and quantitative composition of fungi colonizing the underground parts of carrot plants. In addition, the total population of fungi and bacteria was determined (including Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp.) based on the microbiological analysis of the rhizosphere soil. The application of the plant growth-promoting fungus (Trichoderma harzianum T-22), chitosan and tea tree oil positively influenced the growth, development and health status of carrot plants. T. harzianum T-22, chitosan and fungicide most effectively protected carrots against infection by soil-borne fungi from the genus Alternaria, Fusarium, Haematonectria, Sclerotinia and Rhizoctonia. The rhizosphere population of Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. in the treatments with Trianum P or Zaprawa Nasienna T 75 DS/WS was bigger than in the other experimental treatments. A reverse relationship was observed in the population of rhizosphere fungi. T. harzianum T-22, chitosan and tea tree oil promoted the growth of antagonistic fungi (Albifimbria sp., Clonostachys sp., Penicillium sp., Talaromyces sp. and Trichoderma sp.) in the carrot rhizosphere. Antagonistic activity of these fungi towards Alternaria dauci, Alternaria radicina, Sclerotiniasclerotiorum and Rhizoctonia solani was higher after the application of the preparations compared to control. Consequently, Trianum P, Beta-Chikol and Timorex Gold 24 EC can be recommended as plant biostimulants in ecological agricultural production, including Daucus carota cultivation.

Talaromyces pinophilus strain M13: a portrayal of novel groundbreaking fungal strain for phytointensification.

The aim of current research was to explore different fungi as plant growth promoting fungi (PGPF). Strains of Trichoderma are well explored till now. But there are few other fungal strains that are better than Trichoderma strains. The study involves the isolation of different fungi from the rhizosphere of various agriculture farms. After isolation, 18S rRNA identification was carried out. Isolated fungi belonged to genus Penicillium, Talaromyces, Trichoderma, and Aspergillus. Isolate M13 belonging to genus Talaromyces was screened for its plant growth promoting (PGP) activity as it is a novel strain and still to be explored. Isolate M13 was identified as Talaromyces pinophilus (MG011365). Indole acetic acid (IAA) estimation was carried out using Salkowski reagent. Isolate was allowed to grow in cultivation media (Potato Dextrose Broth, PDB) in which one was supplemented with tryptophan (TRP) and one was without TRP. Phosphate solubilization was assessed using Pikovskaya's media and latter estimated using stannous chloride method, showing decent solubilization of phosphate. Siderophore production was assessed using CAS assay that indicated decent extent of siderophore production. Further for biocontrol, enzymatic assay for β-glucanase and chitinase was carried out. For β-glucanase enzyme production 1% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and for chitinase enzyme production 10% v/v colloidal chitin (as a sole carbon source) supplemented in solid minimal-medium-9 (MM9) were used. Antagonism effect of isolate M13 was carried out against Aspergillus niger by dual cultural method. As the strain M13 showed several PGP traits, liquid bioformulation was prepared to perform seed germination assay and pot trials on chickpea, followed by field trial on banana plant. All the experimental data of biochemical assessment with pot and field trials suggest T. pinophilus M13 as a novel fungus that can be used as biointensifier.