Microbial biocontrol of Fusarium oxysporum in tomato using Papiliotrema terrestris, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Trichoderma harzianum under greenhouse conditions
Aug 2026· International Science Journal of Engineering & Agriculture· 0 citations· 1 references
TL;DR
The observed differences among microbial treatments indicate that biological control performance depends not only on pathogen suppression but also on the capacity of the antagonist to improve plant physiological status.
Abstract
Fusarium oxysporum is a persistent soil-borne pathogen that causes severe vascular wilt in tomato and remains difficult to manage under intensive greenhouse production. This study evaluated the individual and combined performance of three microbial antagonists, Papiliotrema terrestris PT22AV, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BO7, and Trichoderma harzianum T22, against the aggressive isolate FO23 under controlled greenhouse conditions. Tomato seedlings of the susceptible cultivar San Marzano Nano were grown in pathogen-infested substrate and treated with microbial agents individually or as a consortium. Plant response was assessed through symptom expression, chlorosis, plant height, leaf area, vigor, and overall disease suppression. Among the single agents, PT22AV showed the strongest performance, combining visible disease suppression with a clear biostimulant effect. BO7 also reduced pathogen damage and improved plant development, whereas T22 provided only modest protection under the tested conditions. The microbial consortium composed of PT22AV, BO7, and T22 produced the best overall plant response, with improved vigor, greener foliage, and reduced symptom severity compared with the pathogen-only treatment. The observed differences among microbial treatments indicate that biological control performance depends not only on pathogen suppression but also on the capacity of the antagonist to improve plant physiological status. The integration of complementary microorganisms within a consortium may therefore represent a promising strategy for sustainable greenhouse tomato production under high disease pressure.
The dependence on synthetic fungicides in smallholder vegetable production creates both an economic and environmental concerns in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of two molecularly identified Trichoderma isolates, T. viride and T. harzianum, against Fusarium oxysporum and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in tomato under controlled screenhouse conditions. The isolates were characterized using morphological traits and confirmed by ITS and tef1 sequencing. In vitro antagonism against F. oxysporum was assessed using serial spore concentrations, while in vivo efficacy was evaluated through pathogen challenge experiments measuring disease incidence, severity, plant growth, chlorophyll content, biomass, and root colonization over 12 weeks. Both isolates significantly suppressed pathogen activity, with T. viride showing stronger overall performance. In vitro, T. viride achieved 94.3% inhibition of F. oxysporum at 10⁹ CFU mL⁻¹ after 120 hours, compared with 91.7% for T. harzianum at same end point. Under screenhouse conditions, T. viride reduced Fusarium wilt incidence by 67% and CMV severity by 67%, whereas T. harzianum reduced Fusarium wilt incidence by 60% and CMV severity by 59% relative to pathogen-inoculated controls. Plants treated with T. viride also exhibited the greatest plant height, chlorophyll content, biomass accumulation, and root colonization, indicating enhanced plant vigour. In contrast, carbendazim effectively suppressed Fusarium wilt but provided no protection against CMV. These findings demonstrate that both Trichoderma species function as multifunctional bioagents capable of simultaneously suppressing fungal and viral diseases while promoting tomato growth, with T. viride showing superior overall efficacy and strong potential for sustainable integrated disease management.
E. E. Ekpiken· FUDMA Journal of Agriculture...· 0 citations
The results showed that the PGPR treatments evaluated under M. phaseolina infection conditions played a role in both disease suppression and sesame growth enhancement, such that the PGPR-treated cultivar “Shevin” simultaneously showed reduced infection and improved growth traits.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), the third most important food crop worldwide, is constrained by phytopathogens, environmental stress, and heavy agrochemical use. Potato micropropagation is a biotechnological strategy for producing genetically uniform, pathogen-free plantlets. However, the acclimatization phase remains a major bottleneck in micropropagation, often resulting in poor survival and stunted growth. In this context, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) represent a sustainable strategy to improve plantlet establishment and reduce reliance on synthetic inputs. This study evaluated the biofertilization and biocontrol potential of three Douro vineyard-associated bacterial strains, Bacillus velezensis Nb1, Burkholderia pyrrocinia Gs3, and Streptomyces sp. 42s5, identified using 16S rRNA and gyrB sequence analysis. In dual-culture assays, the isolates showed antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Botrytis cinerea, and Alternaria alternata. All strains also exhibited key plant growth-promoting traits, including indole-3-acetic acid and siderophore production, and phosphate solubilization. The isolates were tested individually and in consortia on micropropagated potato plantlets during acclimatization under greenhouse conditions. Eight treatments (six replicates each), including a non-inoculated control, were evaluated. The results indicated that inoculations significantly improved vegetative growth and yield-related parameters. Notably, the Gs3 + 42s5 combination produced the highest shoot biomass, while the three-strain consortium achieved the greatest total tuber weight (36.91 g/plant) compared to the control (7.75 g/plant). These findings highlight the potential of these native PGPB, particularly when applied in multi-strain combinations, to enhance acclimatization efficiency and support sustainable potato production by reducing dependence on chemical inputs and promoting eco-friendly agricultural practices.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important vegetables consumed globally for its culinary and medicinal significance. However, fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtendal, is a recalcitrant limitation to tomato production. This is due to the evasive pathogenesis and systemic proliferation of F. oxysporum. Therefore, this study attempts to develop a stable, effective, passive-systemic control measure against fusarium wilt in tomato. Tomato seeds were bioprimed with 108 CFU/mL of antifungal endophytes (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Sa08 and Bacillus subtilis Og04). Biocontrol experiment was set up as a factorial experiment arranged in completely randomized design involving two tomato varieties (Alausa and Ibadan-local), endophytes and carbendazim. Endophyte colonization pattern, in vivo fusarium-biocontrol potential, and residual wilt control efficacy were determined. Both antifungal Bacillus species exhibited a systemic colonization pattern in treated tomato. Highest tissue colonization (13.25 ×102 CFU/g) was expressed by Bacillus subtilis Og04 in the root of Ibadan-local tomato variety. Bacillus endophytes also conferred systemic protection against fusarium wilt and improved yield properties in treated plants. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Sa08 increased fruit production in infected Alausa tomato from 0% to 79%, while Bacillus subtilis Og04 retained 86.40% of its wilt control efficacy six months after seed treatment in Ibadanlocal variety. Seed treatment with Bacillus endophytes will limit the laborious application process associated with previously recommended biocontrol materials against fusarium wilt. Based on their residual biocontrol potentials, the Bacillus species should be evaluated under field conditions, as a seed pre-treatment strategy, to reduce the need for scientific expertise by farmers and other end-users.
Unknown authors· Ife Journal of Science· 0 citations
Fusarium wilt of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) is a serious disease. Host resistance and soil fumigation may reduce the impact of FOL, but the effectiveness may decrease over time due to the diversity and evolution of pathogens. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, but has been overlooked in crop protection due to its poor availability to plants. Silicate-solubilizing bacteria (SSB) are reported to enhance soil nutrition, plant growth, and stress tolerance by transforming inorganic silicon into a plant-available form. Hence, SSB with antimicrobial properties can act as green alternatives to fungicides. Therefore, this study aims to isolate rhizospheric SSB and uncover their benefits in crop protection. Among thirteen potentially beneficial strains identified through 16S rDNA sequencing, Burkholderia contaminans NRBC (NRBC) and Burkholderia sp. NRBA (NRBA) were chosen for greenhouse experiments to evaluate their effectiveness in promoting plant growth and suppressing FOL (race 2). Under normal greenhouse conditions, the co-application of NRBC and silicon significantly increased shoot dry weight. Under FOL stress, all bacteria-treated groups were taller than the control groups. Bacterial treatments significantly reduced disease incidence and suppressed disease progression with no significant effect of the silicon supplement. The expression profiling of some defense-related genes revealed that soil-inoculation with NRBA and NRBC induced transcriptional patterns consistent with the involvement of salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET)-related defense responses. SSB isolates, NRBA and NRBC, are effective standalone biocontrol agents for managing Fusarium wilt in tomato. Silicon supplementation did not show the anticipated plant growth promotion of tomato plants and FOL suppression.
Xanthomonas citri pv. fuscans, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, and Pseudocercospora griseola are among the most important pathogens affecting common bean production, causing significant yield losses worldwide. Despite previous reports on biological control agents, there is limited evidence on the integrated performance of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Trichoderma harzianum combined with resistance inducers under field conditions, particularly across different cultivars and growing seasons. This study evaluated the field efficacy of biological control agents and resistance inducers for managing common bacterial blight (CBB), anthracnose, and angular leaf spot in bean cultivars, and their effects on yield components and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We hypothesized that seed treatment combined with foliar application at V3 would provide superior disease suppression and yield improvement compared with seed treatment alone. The treatments included B. amyloliquefaciens, T. harzianum, citric acid, and sulfur, applied either as seed treatment (ST) or as seed treatment combined with foliar application at the V3 growth stage (ST+V3). The bean cultivars IPR Campos Gerais and IPR Tangará were used across two dry-season and one rainy-season trials conducted in 2023 at IDR-Paraná, Londrina, PR, Brazil. Application rates followed the manufacturers’ recommendations for both seed and foliar treatments. Disease severity, spectral reflectance indices, and yield components were evaluated. All treatments significantly reduced disease severity, with particularly pronounced effects on CBB in both cultivars. Across application methods, B. amyloliquefaciens and T. harzianum improved yield components and grain yield and reduced the proportion of shriveled seeds. In IPR Tangará, grain yield was negatively correlated with CBB severity. Furthermore, B. amyloliquefaciens consistently resulted in a lower incidence of CBB, anthracnose, and angular leaf spot compared with untreated controls, regardless of cultivar. These findings demonstrate the potential of biological control agents and resistance inducers as components of integrated disease management strategies to improve disease control and yield performance in common bean systems. These findings demonstrate the potential of biological control agents and resistance inducers as components of integrated disease management in common bean, though multi-location validation is required before large-scale recommendations can be made.
Jacqueline Dalbelo Puia, A. Moreira, Adriano T. Hoshino et al.· Journal of Agricultural Scie...· 0 citations
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