title: Inoculation of tomato seedlings with Trichoderma Harzianum and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and their effect on growth and control of wilt in tomato seedlings.
abstract: A green house study was conducted to investigate the ability of an isolate of Trichoderma harzianum (P52) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in enhancing growth and control of a wilt pathogen caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in tomato seedlings. The plants were grown in plastic pots filled with sterilized soils. There were four treatments applied as follows; P52, AMF, AMF + P52 and a control. A completely randomized design was used and growth measurements and disease assessment taken after 3, 6 and 9 weeks. Treatments that significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced heights and root dry weights were P52, AMF and a treatment with a combination of both P52 and AMF when compared the control. The treatment with both P52 and AMF significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced all growth parameters (heights; shoot and root dry weight) investigated compared to the control. Disease severity was generally lower in tomato plants grown with isolate P52 and AMF fungi either individually or when combined together, though the effect was not statistically significant (P≥ 0.05). A treatment combination of P52 + AMF had less trend of severity as compared to each individual fungus. T. harzianum and AMF can be used to enhance growth in tomato seedlings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences, School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Kenyatta University , Box 43844-00100 Nairobi , Kenya.
authors.forename: Margaret W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Mwangi
authors.forename: Ethel O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.forename: Sheila A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Okoth
authors.forename: Joyce M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jefwa
keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF); Disease severity; Trichoderma harzianum (P52)
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999 Mar;65(3):1061-70
references.pmid: 10049864
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999 Jul;65(7):2926-33
references.pmid: 10388685
references.citation: Plant Dis. 2000 Apr;84(4):377-393
references.pmid: 30841158