SCREENING OF TRICHODERMA ISOLATES FROM VEGETABLE RHIZOSPHERE FOR IN VITRO ANTAGONISTIC POTENTIAL AGAINST PLANT PATHOGENIC FUNGI AND EXTRACELLULAR LACCASE PRODUCTION
Körmöczi, P.1, Sajben E.1, Manczinger, L.1, Danilović, G.2, Panković, D.2, Leitgeb, B.3, Szekeres, A.1, Vágvölgyi, Cs.1, Kredics L.1
1University of Szeged, Faculty of Science and Informatics, Department of Microbiology, Szeged, Hungary, 2Educons University, Faculty of Environmental Protection, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia, 3Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged, Hungary
Organic farmlands are exposed to dangerous xenobiotics through distinct pollution drift effects such as wind-driven pesticide-containing dusts and xenobiotic-containing rains.
Therefore a continuously detoxifying technology is needed in the course of organic production. The capability for extracellular laccase production in the case of beneficial fungi may be indicative of xenobiotic-degrading abilities. Low-input agricultural production increasingly faces also with the problem of soil-borne pests. New approaches of biological control based on antagonistic Trichoderma strains may provide efficient tools for organic agriculture.
The aim of this work was to examine a series of vegetable rhizosphere-derived Trichoderma strains from the species T. koningiopsis, T. hamatum, T. citrinoviride, T. longibrachiatum, T.
pleuroticola, T. harzianum, T. gamsii, T. virens, T. atroviride and T. asperellum for their in vitro antagonistic capabilities against plant pathogenic Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum strains and for their extracellular laccase production capabilities. In vitro antagonism was examined in dual culture tests and the Biocontrol Index (BCI) values were determined for the particular isolates. Laccase activities were screened for on soild media containing 2,2'-azino- bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) or guaiacol as chromogenic substrates, as well as with ABTS on 96-well microtiter plates. Isolates belonging to the biocontrol species T. asperellum that are possessing both good in vitro antagonistic activities against the examined plant pathogenic fungi and good laccase producing abilities could be selected. Such strains might be promising for the development of fungal-based products that are able to transform problematic xenobiotics to less toxic or nontoxic compounds and suppress plant pathogenic fungi in the rhizosphere of organic farmland soils.
The project is co-financed by the European Union through the Hungary-Serbia IPA Cross- border Co-operation Programme (PHANETRI, HUSRB/1002/214/068).
The publication/presentation is supported by the European Union and co-funded by the European Social Fund. Project title: “Broadening the knowledge base and supporting the long term professional sustainability of the Research University Centre of Excellence at the University of Szeged by ensuring the rising generation of excellent scientists.”
Project number: TÁMOP-4.2.2/B-10/1-2010-0012
