Efficacy of Aspergillus tubingensis GX3′ Fermentation against Meloidogyne enterolobii in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

Meloidogyne enterolobii is one of the most virulent root-knot nematodes (RKNs). Aspergillus tubingensis Raoul Mosseray, 1934, is used to produce bioactive substances, enzymes, and secondary metabolites. However, no research has been conducted yet on the efficacy of A. tubingensis against plant-parasitic nematodes. Thus, the novel research was planned to evaluate the biocontrol efficacy of A. tubingensis fermentation against M. enterolobii. The findings showed that egg hatching inhibition and mortality of M. enterolobii increased with increasing concentration of fermentation and exposure time. The maximum second-stage juveniles (J2s) mortality was achieved via 100% fermentation at 72 h. Similarly, 100% fermentation inhibited 99.9% of egg hatching at 8 d. A. tubingensis fermentation increased plant biomass, decreased second-stage juvenile invasion, and inhibited nematode development and reproduction in greenhouse conditions. A. tubingensis reduced J2 invasion into tomato roots by 42.84% with CS+ (coated seeds plants with nematodes inoculum) and 27.04% with T+ (100% fermentation broth and nematodes inoculum both) treatments. Moreover, CS+ and T+ treatments decreased nematode development by 54.31% and 21.48%, respectively. It is concluded that the A. tubingensis GX3 strain can be used as a novel microbial biocontrol agent against M. enterolobii.

Exploring the nematicidal mechanisms and control efficiencies of oxalic acid producing Aspergillus tubingensis WF01 against root-knot nematodes

“…Results from this study indicated that the application of A. tubingensis WF01 significantly not only decreased the infection of M. incognita but also promoted plant growth ( Figure 5 ). Our findings corroborated the results of Kriaa et al (2015) , Zhao et al (2018) , and Sikandar et al (2023) , who demonstrated that A. tubingensis effectively protected plants against phytopathogens and meanwhile increased plant length and fresh mass.…”

“…Strain WF01 demonstrated remarkable nematicidal efficacy against M. incognita J2s. The WF01 culture broth resulted in 100% juvenile mortality to M. incognita only needed 24 h of exposure time ( Figure 2 ), which was shorter than that of the A. tubingensis GX3 to M. enterolobii (72 h) ( Sikandar et al, 2023 ). This is possibly due to the differences in strains and target nematodes.…”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that A. tubingensis had a wide range of bioactivities, including the degradation of polyester polyurethane ( Khan et al, 2017 ), the remediation of heavy metal contamination ( Shan et al, 2022 ), the control of plant diseases caused by Fusarium solani ( Kriaa et al, 2015 ), and the solubilization of rock phosphates with low solubility ( Reddy et al, 2002 ). Sikandar et al (2023) first reported the nematicidal activity of A. tubingensis against RKN. They found that the fermentation of A. tubingensis GX3 broth reduced Meloidogyne enterolobii J2 invasion and inhibited nematode development and reproduction in tomato plants.…”

“…In this study, the LC 50 of OA against J2s of M. incognita was determined as 27.48 μg ml –1 at an exposure time of 24 h. The observed value was comparatively lower than the EC 50 (0.87 mmol L –1 ) reported by Jang et al (2016) , indicating variability in the susceptibility of M. incognita J2s to OA across different geographical regions. The formation of multiple vacuoles in the body of dead nematodes is the typical symptom of LMWOCs and their producing microorganisms ( Jang et al, 2016 ; Sikandar et al, 2023 ; Wang et al, 2023 ). We also observed the symptoms when M .…”

Metarhizium carneum Formulations: A Promising New Biological Control to Be Incorporated in the Integrated Management of Meloidogyne enterolobii on Tomato Plants

“…Novel biorational strategies have been evaluated for the M. enterolobii control. For example, P. lilacinum and Pochonia chlamydosporia conidia reduced by 80% the hatching of this nematode under in vitro conditions [14]; Aspergillus tubingensis fermentation inhibited M. enterolobii hatching and caused 100% mortality of its J2 in in vitro conditions and significantly reduced the infestation of greenhouse tomato plants [42]; and indole 3-butyric acid prevented M. enterolobii infestation in guava plants [43]. Although the applications of M. carneum reduce the population of M. enterolobii in heavily infested soils, it may be interesting to use this biological control with other novel control strategies such as those described above and also including crop rotation and the use of resistant cultivars to reduce the nematode population in less time [20].…”