Efficacy of Commercial Biocontrol Products for the Management of Verticillium and Fusarium Wilt in Greenhouse Tomatoes: Impact on Disease Severity, Fruit Yield, and Quality

Maria-Dimitra Tsolakidou, Georgia Demetriou, Sotiria Panagiotou, Loukia Vassiliou, Vlasios Goulas and Iakovos Pantelides ()
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Maria-Dimitra Tsolakidou: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos 3603, Cyprus
Georgia Demetriou: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos 3603, Cyprus
Sotiria Panagiotou: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos 3603, Cyprus
Loukia Vassiliou: Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Agricultural Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Nicosia 1516, Cyprus
Vlasios Goulas: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos 3603, Cyprus
Iakovos Pantelides: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Lemesos 3603, Cyprus

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-22

Abstract: Verticillium dahliae ( Vd ) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici ( Fol ) are two major fungal pathogens that infect tomato plants, causing significant challenges in their control since both pathogens can persist in the soil for several years even in the absence of a host plant and no effective fungicides are available at present. This study investigated the efficacy of two biocontrol formulations, Clonotri (containing Trichoderma and Clonostachys microorganisms) and Strepse (comprising Streptomyces and Pseudomonas microorganisms), against Vd and Fol and their impact on tomato fruit quality and yield under greenhouse conditions. The pathogenicity experiment demonstrated that the Clonotri formulation, containing Trichoderma and Clonostachys spores, significantly reduced Fusarium wilt disease by 32% compared to the control group. However, in the Vd pathogenicity experiment, the formulations did not exhibit disease reduction, although treatment with Strepse, containing Streptomyces and Pseudomonas microorganisms, resulted in a preserved total fruit number when compared to uninfected plants. Analysis of fruit quality attributes revealed no significant differences among the various interventions. Furthermore, Fol infection in the first fruit set significantly increased fruit firmness, while Vd infection resulted in elevated levels of total soluble solids in fruits. These findings demonstrate that the evaluated biocontrol formulations provide a degree of protection against fungal wilt pathogens in tomato plants and can increase yield in greenhouse conditions while having minimal impact on overall fruit quality attributes.

Keywords: tomato; Verticillium dahliae; Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici; Trichoderma sp.; Clonostachys sp.; Streptomyces sp.; Pseudomonas sp. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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