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Effect of Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens on Allium cepa L. Growth, Damping off and Basal Rot Disease Incidence and Severity in Sri Lanka

Received: 24 June 2020     Accepted: 2 September 2020     Published: 23 September 2020
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Abstract

Trichoderma species are frequently used for the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi and they have also been reported as plant growth promoters. In the present study, the effect of two Trichoderma spp. i.e. Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens isolated from the soils of onion fields on the growth of Allium cepa L. plants and suppression of damping off and basal rot diseases was evaluated under field conditions. The two Trichoderma spp. were mass cultured in a low cost medium containing molasses and yeast and added to a low cost carrier medium consisting of talc. Two formulations, i.e. T. asperellum only and T. asperellum in combination with T. virens were prepared and the formulations were tested for their effect on onion seedlings at the nursery stage and also on transplanted plants in the field. At the nursery stage, the two formulations were applied using two methods i.e. soil application prior to planting of onion seeds or priming of onion seeds with the two formulations separately before planting. Both methods reduced the incidence and severity of damping off disease while increasing the growth of seedlings significantly (p ≤ 0.05) at the nursery stage. Additional treatment with the two formulations as seedling root dips or soil applications before transplanting the seedlings in the field were effective in controlling basal rot disease of A. cepa L. and enhancing the growth of Allium cepa L. plants significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in the field.

Published in Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology (Volume 6, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13
Page(s) 40-51
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma virens, Damping Off, Basal Rot, Growth Enhancement

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Lankeswarage Nilupa Rasangi Gunaratna, Nelum Deshappriya, Sirimewan Rajapaksha, Dehiwala Liyanage Jayaratne. (2020). Effect of Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens on Allium cepa L. Growth, Damping off and Basal Rot Disease Incidence and Severity in Sri Lanka. Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology, 6(3), 40-51. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13

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    ACS Style

    Lankeswarage Nilupa Rasangi Gunaratna; Nelum Deshappriya; Sirimewan Rajapaksha; Dehiwala Liyanage Jayaratne. Effect of Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens on Allium cepa L. Growth, Damping off and Basal Rot Disease Incidence and Severity in Sri Lanka. Front. Environ. Microbiol. 2020, 6(3), 40-51. doi: 10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13

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    AMA Style

    Lankeswarage Nilupa Rasangi Gunaratna, Nelum Deshappriya, Sirimewan Rajapaksha, Dehiwala Liyanage Jayaratne. Effect of Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens on Allium cepa L. Growth, Damping off and Basal Rot Disease Incidence and Severity in Sri Lanka. Front Environ Microbiol. 2020;6(3):40-51. doi: 10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13,
      author = {Lankeswarage Nilupa Rasangi Gunaratna and Nelum Deshappriya and Sirimewan Rajapaksha and Dehiwala Liyanage Jayaratne},
      title = {Effect of Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens on Allium cepa L. Growth, Damping off and Basal Rot Disease Incidence and Severity in Sri Lanka},
      journal = {Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology},
      volume = {6},
      number = {3},
      pages = {40-51},
      doi = {10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.fem.20200603.13},
      abstract = {Trichoderma species are frequently used for the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi and they have also been reported as plant growth promoters. In the present study, the effect of two Trichoderma spp. i.e. Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens isolated from the soils of onion fields on the growth of Allium cepa L. plants and suppression of damping off and basal rot diseases was evaluated under field conditions. The two Trichoderma spp. were mass cultured in a low cost medium containing molasses and yeast and added to a low cost carrier medium consisting of talc. Two formulations, i.e. T. asperellum only and T. asperellum in combination with T. virens were prepared and the formulations were tested for their effect on onion seedlings at the nursery stage and also on transplanted plants in the field. At the nursery stage, the two formulations were applied using two methods i.e. soil application prior to planting of onion seeds or priming of onion seeds with the two formulations separately before planting. Both methods reduced the incidence and severity of damping off disease while increasing the growth of seedlings significantly (p ≤ 0.05) at the nursery stage. Additional treatment with the two formulations as seedling root dips or soil applications before transplanting the seedlings in the field were effective in controlling basal rot disease of A. cepa L. and enhancing the growth of Allium cepa L. plants significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in the field.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Effect of Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens on Allium cepa L. Growth, Damping off and Basal Rot Disease Incidence and Severity in Sri Lanka
    AU  - Lankeswarage Nilupa Rasangi Gunaratna
    AU  - Nelum Deshappriya
    AU  - Sirimewan Rajapaksha
    AU  - Dehiwala Liyanage Jayaratne
    Y1  - 2020/09/23
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13
    DO  - 10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13
    T2  - Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology
    JF  - Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology
    JO  - Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology
    SP  - 40
    EP  - 51
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2469-8067
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.fem.20200603.13
    AB  - Trichoderma species are frequently used for the biological control of phytopathogenic fungi and they have also been reported as plant growth promoters. In the present study, the effect of two Trichoderma spp. i.e. Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma virens isolated from the soils of onion fields on the growth of Allium cepa L. plants and suppression of damping off and basal rot diseases was evaluated under field conditions. The two Trichoderma spp. were mass cultured in a low cost medium containing molasses and yeast and added to a low cost carrier medium consisting of talc. Two formulations, i.e. T. asperellum only and T. asperellum in combination with T. virens were prepared and the formulations were tested for their effect on onion seedlings at the nursery stage and also on transplanted plants in the field. At the nursery stage, the two formulations were applied using two methods i.e. soil application prior to planting of onion seeds or priming of onion seeds with the two formulations separately before planting. Both methods reduced the incidence and severity of damping off disease while increasing the growth of seedlings significantly (p ≤ 0.05) at the nursery stage. Additional treatment with the two formulations as seedling root dips or soil applications before transplanting the seedlings in the field were effective in controlling basal rot disease of A. cepa L. and enhancing the growth of Allium cepa L. plants significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in the field.
    VL  - 6
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka

  • Department of Botany, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

  • Horticultural Crops Research and Development Institute, Gannoruwa, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

  • Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

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