THE EFFECT OF THE TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM STRAINS ON THE GROWTH OF TOMATO SEEDLINGS

An experiment was performed with commercial and noncommercial Trichoderma harzianum strains to test whether they have any effect on the growth of tomato seedlings.
The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. ‘Caruso’) seedlings were grown in a greenhouse and watered daily by hand. 18-day old seedlings were inoculated with Trichoderma harzianum strains Plantshield^TM, T22, and T95 (10⁷conidia plus mycelial fragments/ml) and transplanted into plastic pots filled with Pro-Mix^TM potting mix.
Randomized complete block design was used and treatments were replicated three times.
At six weeks, the seedlings were sampled for growth comparisons on seedling emergence, number of true leaves, fresh and dry weights of roots and shoots, stem caliper and shoot height.
The data were subjected to ANOVA and the means tested by LSD. The results demonstrated that Trichoderma harzianum strains improved tomato seedling growth.
There were differences between the untreated control and the treatments for all of the growth parameters at 4 weeks after inoculation with the exception of root fresh and dry weight.

XXVI International Horticultural Congress: Managing Soil-Borne Pathogens: A Sound Rhizosphere to Improve Productivity in Intensive Horticultural Systems

N. Ozbay, S.E. Newman, W.M. Brown

Lycopersicon esculentum, growing media, root colonization, Caruso, growth parameters

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.635.16