Tomato and Root Colonizing Fungi: Increased Resistance Mediated by Interactions
Abstract
In Austria tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables due to their taste, their versatility in use and their health benefits. The Austrian tomato production, which is concentrated to greenhouses or polytunnels in Vienna, some areas of lower Austria and Burgenland, is characterized by high quality fresh produce. To ensure such high quality, biotic stress factors like plant diseases need to be managed properly. In the recent years microbial products based on different bacteria and fungi have gained more and more attention with regard to increased plant health and vitality. Their effects can range from plant growth promotion to the reduction of plant diseases and can be important management tools in sustainable production systems. In this work the effects of the endophytic fungus Sebacina vermifera on tomato plant growth and plant health will be investigated. The effects will be investigated in in-vitro assays and in a greenhouse experiment. In the in-vitro assays effects on early plant development, activation of defence genes and disease suppression potential against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) will be investigated by using different microscope techniques and real-time PCR. In the greenhouse experiments parameters such as flowering time, fruit development, root morphology and disease control will be investigated. The results of this proposal will help to assess the potential of S. vermifera for sustainable tomato production and will provide important results for future work in the field of plant─pathogen─endophyte interactions.
keywords tomato Sebacinales root endophytes Fusarium oxysporum
Publikationen
Project staff
Karin Hage-Ahmed
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Karin Hage-Ahmed
karin.hageahmed@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-95305
Project Leader
01.12.2016 - 31.03.2018