Demonstration of the synergistic effect of biochar and Trichoderma harzianum on the development of Ralstonia solanacearum in eggplant

Chaudhry Ali Ahmad; Adnan Akhter; Muhammad Saleem Haider; Muhammad Taqqi Abbas; Abeer Hashem; Graciela Dolores Avila-Quezada; Elsayed Fathi Abd Allah

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1360703

Demonstration of the synergistic effect of biochar and Trichoderma harzianum on the development of Ralstonia solanacearum in eggplant

Front Microbiol. 2024 Apr 25:15:1360703. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1360703. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Chaudhry Ali Ahmad¹, Adnan Akhter¹, Muhammad Saleem Haider¹, Muhammad Taqqi Abbas¹, Abeer Hashem², Graciela Dolores Avila-Quezada³, Elsayed Fathi Abd Allah⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture Sciences, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
² Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
³ Facultad de Ciencias Agrotecnológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico.
⁴ Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Soil degradation has been accelerated by the use of chemical pesticides and poor agricultural practices, which has had an impact on crop productivity. Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the use of eco-friendly biochar applications to enhance soil quality and sequester carbon in sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to determine the individual and combined effects of Leaf Waste Biochar (LWB) and the bio-control agent Trichoderma harzianum (BCA) on the development of bacterial wilt in eggplants (Solanum melongena) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (RS). The effects of LWB and BCA on eggplant physiology and defense-related biochemistry were comprehensively examined. Inoculated (+RS) and un-inoculated (-RS) eggplants were grown in potting mixtures containing 3% and 6% (v/v) LWB, both with and without BCA. The percentage disease index was considerably reduced (90%) in plants grown in the 6% LWB+ BCA amended treatments. Moreover, the plants grown in LWB and inoculated with BCA had higher phenolics, flavonoids and peroxidase contents compared to the non-amended control. The level of NPK was significantly increased (92.74% N, 76.47% P, 53.73% K) in the eggplants cultivated in the 6% LWB + BCA composition. This study has shown that the association of T. harzianum with biochar improved plant growth and reduced R. solanacearum induced wilt. Furthermore, the combined impact of biochar and T. harzianum was greater in terms of wilt suppression and increase in plant physiological measurements when the biochar concentration was 6%. Biochar and bio-control agents triggered biochemical alterations, thus enhancing the management of disease-infested soils.

Keywords: Trichoderma harzianum; bacterial wilt; carbon sequestration; organic agriculture; plant protection; soil amendment.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP2024R134), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.