Impact of Trichoderma, abscisic acid and polyamines on resistance tomato cultivars against M. incognita infection

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Abstract
Background The interaction of various treatments such as abscisic acid (ABA), polyamines (PS), and biological control with Trichoderma against Meloidogyne incognita was evaluated to assess their impact on pathological indices, growth metrics, and defense mechanisms in tomato cultivars. Methods The study assessed Meloidogyne incognita root tomato disease (number of galls and egg masses) and growth parameters (shoot, root system, and fruit weight) in two tomato cultivars (1077 and Dania 85), along with the activities of defense enzymes; peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and expression of defense genes (POD, PPO and PR2). Specifically, the study evaluated abscisic acid (ABA; 10 µM), potassium silicate (5 g/L), and biological Trichoderma harzianum (108 CFU/ml) treatments under greenhouse conditions 45 days post-inoculation. pathological indices, including the number of galls and egg masses, were measured, along with defense enzyme activities and gene expression levels. Results Among the treatments applied, the 1077 cultivar demonstrated the highest resistance, exhibiting the lowest number of galls and egg masses. All treatments (ABA, PS, and Trichoderma) significantly increased growth parameters compared to the nematode-infected untreated control. Specifically, PS treatment showed the strongest enhancement in shoot fresh weight across both cultivars (1077 and Dania 85). Enzyme activities of PPO and POD, along with the gene expressions of POD, PPO and PR2, were elevated across all treatments. PS was the most effective treatment, followed by ABA and Trichoderma, significantly boosting both enzyme activities and gene expressions relative to the untreated control. The 1077 cultivar the resistant hybrid consistently outperformed Dania 85 in enzyme activities and gene expression. Conclusions PS and ABA significantly enhanced growth (≤ 57.4%↑) and defense (≤ 3.3-fold↑), with 1077 exhibiting superior resistance (48–53%↓ pathology). This hybrid is already marketed as a resistant cultivar, underscoring the potential for integrated disease management strategies.

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