Articles
Evaluation of Trichoderma atroviride to combat soil-borne pathogens in processing tomatoes
Article number
1445_6
Pages
37 – 42
Language
English
Abstract
Row crops such as processing tomatoes have incorporated expensive technology over the years to increase yield.
Some of these technologies are difficult or impossible to move from one farm to the next, as is the case for pressurized irrigation systems or protective structures.
Crop growers tend to use the farms that have these infrastructure investments intensively to amortize the initial costs and take advantage of the economic benefits provided.
Consequently, it becomes difficult to rotate crops, or fallow the soil, in an effective way to reduce the accumulation of pests and pathogens.
It is common to see an important increase in plant loss from soil-borne pathogens in farms that have two or more consecutive tomato crops.
It has been widely documented that beneficial microorganisms including Trichoderma can act as an antagonist to many soil-borne pathogens and thus protect the crop from damage.
Considering the evermore strict regulations and environmental goals of key markets lead by the European Union, it is important to find ecological alternatives to common methods of control that rely heavily on synthesized chemicals.
Trials were conducted in the INTA experimental station in La Consulta, Mendoza, Argentina through the years 2021-2024 in a plot that has had tomato crops every year since 2019 under hail netting that is compatible with typical processing tomato machinery.
In the trials a control treatment with no pathogen protection was compared to common chemical control, Mancozeb with Metalaxyl, and an ecological alternative Trichoderma atroviride. The variety used was HM 7883 which has been observed as susceptible to Phytophthora sp. attacks in soils where tomato has been grown repeatedly.
In all the years the treatment with Trichoderma was equally or less affected by Phytophthora sp. than the chemical treatment and the control treatment.
Some of these technologies are difficult or impossible to move from one farm to the next, as is the case for pressurized irrigation systems or protective structures.
Crop growers tend to use the farms that have these infrastructure investments intensively to amortize the initial costs and take advantage of the economic benefits provided.
Consequently, it becomes difficult to rotate crops, or fallow the soil, in an effective way to reduce the accumulation of pests and pathogens.
It is common to see an important increase in plant loss from soil-borne pathogens in farms that have two or more consecutive tomato crops.
It has been widely documented that beneficial microorganisms including Trichoderma can act as an antagonist to many soil-borne pathogens and thus protect the crop from damage.
Considering the evermore strict regulations and environmental goals of key markets lead by the European Union, it is important to find ecological alternatives to common methods of control that rely heavily on synthesized chemicals.
Trials were conducted in the INTA experimental station in La Consulta, Mendoza, Argentina through the years 2021-2024 in a plot that has had tomato crops every year since 2019 under hail netting that is compatible with typical processing tomato machinery.
In the trials a control treatment with no pathogen protection was compared to common chemical control, Mancozeb with Metalaxyl, and an ecological alternative Trichoderma atroviride. The variety used was HM 7883 which has been observed as susceptible to Phytophthora sp. attacks in soils where tomato has been grown repeatedly.
In all the years the treatment with Trichoderma was equally or less affected by Phytophthora sp. than the chemical treatment and the control treatment.
Authors
P.A. Smith, C.A. Argerich, M.M. Riquelme
Keywords
biocontrol, damping off, soil-borne pathogens, Solanum lycopersicum, soil sustainability
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