Use of biological control and bio-fertilization against Fusarium wilt disease and its effect on growth characteristics and tomato productivity

Abstract

In this research had tried control by application of biological control and biofertilizer of the pathogenic fungus causing Fusarium wilt of tomato under greenhouse and field conditions. In this, results indicated to treatment with Trichoderma harzianum, alone or biofertilizer dual inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense, proved more powerful in decreasing disease severity % of foliar yellowing and wilt or vascular browning by about (16.25 and 16.67%) and (8.75 and 10.71%), respectively of tomato cv Super-strain B, plants than other treatments and compared with control. On the other hand, previous treatment gave the highest, observed in case of inoculation with A. brasilense with T. harzianum, records of growth characters, i.e. plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, plant fresh weight and plant dry weight g/plant, by about (77.6 cm, 5.75/plant, 552.9 and 87.13g.) respectively, yield and yield components of tomato plants, i.e. Number of fruits/plant, weight of one fruit (g), fruits yield/plant (kg) and fruits yield/plant (ton/fed) by about (14.8/plant, 113.4g, 2.07kg and 25.13 ton/fed) respectively compared with the other treatments and control. Also, in previous treatment gave the highest values observed in case of inoculation with A. brasilense with T. harzianum, of dehydrogenase activity (μg TPF/g dry soil/day), N2-ase activity (nmoles C6H2/g dry soil/hr) at flowering stage and increased phenols mg/g fresh weight and total soluble solids (TSS) of tomato c. v Super-strain B, plants compared with the other treatments and control.