Evaluation of biological control of fusarium wilt in gerbera with Trichoderma asperellum

Abstract

The increase in flower cultivation in recent years has been reflecting the higher incidence of soil pathogens that can cause serious problems. This study aimed to evaluate the biological control of Fusarium wilt in gerbera with Trichoderma asperellum. The evaluated treatments were: T1) Control, only sterile substrate; T2) Substrate + Fusarium oxysporum; T3) Substrate + Fusarium oxysporum + Trichoderma asperellum; and T4) Substrate + Trichoderma asperellum. For this, the pathogen was isolated from gerbera with disease symptoms and, subsequently, it was identified according to morphological characters. Furthermore, the degree of antagonism of T. asperellum against F. oxysporum was evaluated through the culture pairing test. For greenhouse evaluations, commercial autoclaved substrate was used and infested with corn grains infected by the pathogen. Morphological identification confirmed the pathogen species as Fusarium oxysporum. In the culture pairing test, it was found that T. asperellum did not present a high degree of antagonism. The plants cultivated on substrate infested by the pathogen had no visible symptoms of wilt, but the substrate infestation with the pathogen provided lower values of fresh and dry mass of shoots and roots. The treatment with T. asperellum obtained higher values of fresh and dry mass of both shoots and roots, and also more vigorous inflorescences in relation to the plants treated with the pathogen

In vitro Evaluation of Bioagents against Fusarium Wilt of China Aster caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Callistephi and its effect on Growth Parameters under Pot Condition

“…Besides this, increase in flower yield may be attributed to increased availability of phosphorous and its greater uptake due to application of Trichoderma. Similar results were obtained by Brandler et al, (2017) in gerbera, Ramakrishna et al, (2013) in gladiolus, Nosir (2016 in tuberose.…”

“…Among the bioagents and fusarium inoculated treatments, the higher plant height (57. Brandler et al, (2017) in gerbera, Ramakrishna et al, (2013) in gladiolus, Manooanjitham et al, (2000 in chilli.…”