Putative Trichoderma harzianum mutant promotes cucumber growth by enhanced production of indole acetic acid and plant colonization

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 368; no. 1/2; pp. 433 - 444
• Main Authors: Zhang, Fengge, Yuan, Jun, Yang, Xingming, Cui, Yaqing, Chen, Lihua, Ran, Wei, Shen, Qirong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.07.2013; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Acid soils; Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Colonization; Crop production; Cucumbers; Cucumis sativus; DNA polymerases; Ecology; Fermentation; Fertilizers; Food quality; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; General agronomy. Plant production; Hydroponics; Life Sciences; Liquid chromatography; Magnesium; Microbial colonization; Mutants; Mutation; Organic acids; Organic fertilizers; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Plant biomass; Plant growth; Plant Physiology; Plant roots; Plant Sciences; Plants; Regular Article; Rhizosphere; Roots; Soil inoculation; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Trichoderma; Vegetables; Indole acetic acid; Bio-organic fertilizer (BIO); Ultraviolet irradiation; Colonization; Auxin; Vegetables; Nitrogen heterocycle; Biological agent; Organic fertilization; Fruit vegetable; Organic fertilizer; Organic nitrogen compounds; Fungi; Trichoderma harzianum; Dicotyledones; Indoleacetic acid; Angiospermae; Production; Plant growth substance; Aromatic compound; Antagonist; Fungi Imperfecti; Organic compounds; Cucurbitaceae; Cucumis sativus; Vegetable crop; Spermatophyta; Mutation; Indole derivatives; Soil plant relation; Cucumber
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-012-1519-6

Aims Many Trichoderma species are well-known by their ability to promote plant growth and health. However, few studies have been conducted to improve their ability. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments compared the promotion of cucumber growth by the putative mutant Trichoderma harzianum T-E5 versus the wild-type SQR-T037 and bio-organic fertilizers fortified with them. Methods The putative mutant T-E5 was selected based on plant hormone production in liquid fermentation and then on the effects of T-E5 and SQR-T037 to promote plant growth and colonization of plant roots and rhizosphere soil of cucumber. Results High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that indole acetic acid (IAA) production by T-E5 was enhanced by 30.2 % as compared with SQRT037. T-E5 treatment statistically increased cucumber plant biomass in soil and hydroponic experiments. Based on TaqMan reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, the population of T-E5 was almost ten times higher than SQR-T037 in the soil samples at 30 days. The endophytic colonization of roots and stems by the two strains had the same dynamic tendency, but T-E5 was much greater than SQR-T037 at any sampling time. Conclusions The putative mutant T-E5 enhanced the production of IAA and plant colonization ability, and this improvement had a great potential for further application of T-E5 in crop production.