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Dubrovskaya E.V., Pozdnyakova N.N., Davletbaev I.M., Muratova A.Yu. Roots colonization and growth promotion of agricultural plant species by the ascomycete Trichoderma asperellum. Sel'skokhozyaistvennaya Biologiya [Agricultural Biology], 2026, Vol. 61, № 1, p. 132-142.
(how to cite this article)

doi: 10.15389/agrobiology.2026.1.132eng

UDC: 579.64:631.46

Acknowledgements:
Conducted within the framework of the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (project no. 124020100146-9) and additionally supported by Organic Park LLC (Kazan, Russia).

 

ROOTS COLONIZATION AND GROWTH PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL PLANT SPECIES BY THE ASCOMYCETE Trichoderma asperellum

E.V. Dubrovskaya1 ✉, N.N. Pozdnyakova1, I.M. Davletbaev2, A.Yu. Muratova1

1Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms — Subdivision of the Saratov Federal Scientific Centre RAS (IBPPM RAS), 13, Entuziastov pr., Saratov, 410049 Russia, e-mail dubrovskaya_e@ibppm.ru (✉ corresponding author), muratova_a@ibppm.ru, pozdnyakova_n@ibppm.ru;
2Organic Park LLC, 102, room 9, Khimgrad ter., Kazan, 420095 Russia, e-mail davletbaev.i.m@bionovatic.ru

ORCID:
Dubrovskaya E.V. orcid.org/0000-0001-7944-6483
Davletbaev I.M. orcid.org/0009-0009-9217-8802
Pozdnyakova N.N. orcid.org/0000-0002-0505-4628
Muratova A.Yu. orcid.org/0000-0003-1927-918X

Final revision received May 12, 2025
Accepted July 07, 2025

Ascomycetes of the Trichoderma genus are widespread in soil microbiomes and can form complex and diverse relationships with various soil organisms, including plants. The fungus Trichoderma asperellum is used as a biocontrol agent to improve plant growth and serves as the basis for many biofungicides. However, given the ambiguity of Trichoderma interactions with plants, targeted research and extensive testing of selected promising strains across various plant species are necessary. Comprehensively assessment of the effectiveness of Trichoderma asperellum inoculation of a wide range of agricultural plants in terms of biomass accumulation and root colonization under sterile conditions in vitro and in soil was conducted for the first time in this study. The objective of this study was to evaluate root colonization and determine the growth-promoting effect of inoculation of agricultural plants with a commercial strain of Trichoderma asperellum. The work was carried out at the Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms, Saratov Scientific Centre RAS (IBPPM RAS) from May to August, 2024. The commercial strain T. asperellum OPF-19 (VKPM F-1323) and seeds of rape Brássica nápus L. variety Visit, soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr. variety Bara, corn Zea mays L. (hybrid RNIISKh-19), sunflower Helianthus annuus L. variety Saratovsky 20, spring wheat Triticum aestivum L. variety Saratovskaya 74 were used in this study. To inoculate plants with T. asperellum, fungal spores were obtained by growing fungus on BRM agar medium for 5 days. Plant seeds were surface-sterilized with sodium hypochlorite, placed on the surface of diluted (1:1) BRM agar, and incubated at 29 °С for 2-3 days to control sterility. For wheat, deep sterilization of seeds with diacid was used. The process of root colonization by the fungus T. asperellum was studied by growing inoculated and non-inoculated sterile plants in Knop mineral agar (0.4 %) medium. To detect and determine localization of the fungus, experimental native and surface-sterilized with ethanol and hypochlorite root sections obtained from different root areas (growth zone, absorption zone, and conduction (lateral roots) zone) were placed on the surface of the BRM agar medium. The dishes with roots were incubated at 29 °С for 2 days, and then the root areas in which fungal growth was detected were noted. Additionally, colonization efficiency was determined by observing the roots in transmitted light using a Leica DM2500 microscope (Leica Microsystems GmbH, Germany). T. asperellum hyphae and spores were pre-stained with trypan blue. The inoculation effect was assessed by the length of plant shoots and roots. In the case of a taproot system, the length of the main root was determined, while in the case of a fibrous root system, their combined length was determined. Southern chernozem was used for soil experiments. One kilogram of soil was packed in vegetation pots and moistened to 50% of the total moisture capacity. Twenty seeds were sown in each pot, and 10 seedlings were left in each pot after germination. Fourteen days after sowing, fungal spores were added to the pots at a rate of 107 cells per gram of soil. Repeated inoculation was carried out one month after the first. The duration of the vegetation experiment was two months. The fungus was found to colonize the root surface of all studied plants without penetrating the roots; vegetative mycelium and conidia were detected. In sunflower, shoot length decreased by 4 times and root length by almost 7 times; in rapeseed and soybean, by approximately 20 and 50 %, respectively. In cereals, shoot development was similar to that of control plants, while root system length decreased by 50 and 20 % in corn and wheat, respectively. In a soil experiment with non-sterile plants, inoculation had a positive effect on the accumulation of both aboveground and belowground biomass in rapeseed (+26 % and 39 %, respectively) and sunflower (+14 % and 17 %). In soybean plants, the presence of T. asperellum stimulated the development of the root system (+40 %) only, while the aboveground part was virtually indistinguishable from the control. A significant negative effect of inoculation was observed in cereals: aboveground biomass accumulation decreased by 11 and 24 %, while belowground biomass decreased by 32 and 64 % for corn and wheat, respectively. These results demonstrate the influence of cultivation conditions on the manifestation of the fungal inoculation effect, and, in consequence, the need for careful selection of testing conditions for strains promising for growth stimulation of agricultural crops.

Keywords: Trichoderma asperellum, Brassica napus L., rape, Glycine max (L.) Merr., soybean, Zea mays L., corn, Helianthus annuus L., sunflower, Triticum aestivum L., spring wheat, plant growth stimulation, biocontrol.

 

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