Environmental Biotechnology

Plant Biotechnology

Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol. 10 No. 4, Issue of October 15, 2007
© 2007 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile Received August 22, 2006 / Accepted May 22, 2007
DOI: 10.2225/vol10-issue4-fulltext-16
RESEARCH ARTICLE

New strains obtained after UV treatment and protoplast fusion of native Trichoderma harzianum: their biocontrol activity on Pyrenochaeta lycopersici

Ximena A. Besoain*
Laboratorio de Fitopatología
Facultad de Agronomía
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Quillota, Chile
Tel: 56 32 274522
Fax: 56 32 274570
E-mail: xbesoain@ucv.cl

Luz María Pérez
Laboratorio de Bioquímica
Facultad Ciencias de la Salud
Universidad Andrés Bello
Sazie 2325, Santiago, Chile
Tel: 56 2 6618411
Fax: 56 2 6618390
E-mail: lperez@unab.cl

Antonio Araya
Laboratorio de Fitopatología
Facultad de Agronomía
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Quillota, Chile
Tel: 56 32 274522
Fax: 56 32 274570

Llacolén Lefever
Laboratorio de Fitopatología
Facultad de Agronomía
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Quillota, Chile
Tel: 56 32 274522
Fax: 56 32 274570
E-mail: llacolenlefeversch@hotmail.com

Melina Sanguinetti
Laboratorio de Fitopatología
Facultad de Agronomía
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Quillota, Chile
Tel: 56 32 274522
Fax: 56 32 274570

Jaime R. Montealegre
Departamento de Sanidad Vegetal
Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas
Universidad de Chile
Casilla 1004 Santiago, Chile
Tel: 56 2 6785714
Fax: 56 2 6785812
E-mail: jmonteal@uchile.cl

*Corresponding author

Financial support: This research was funded by FONDECYT 1040531/04 grant.

Keywords: corky root, mutagenesis, tomato diseases, Trichoderma, volatile and diffusible metabolites.

Abbreviations:

BCAs: biocontrol agents
MBC: Carbendazim
MeBr: methyl bromide
PDA: Potato Dextrose Agar
PEG: polyethyleneglycol
STC:1.2 M sorbitol, 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.0, 10 mM CaCl2, Autoclave

Abstract
Full Text

The obtainment of 30 new strains from native Trichoderma harzianum after UV light irradiation (UV-A and UV-C), and of 82 strains resulted from protoplast fusion were accomplished. The new strains, initially selected for their growing rate under low temperature and high pH conditions, as well as for their innocuousness on tomato plants, were tested for in vitro inhibition of Pyrenochaeta lycopersici in dual cultures and due to secretion of volatile and diffusible metabolites. All the UV-A and UV-C selected candidate mutants were innocuous to tomato plants, but none of them showed improvement in their biocontrol activity on P. lycopersici. Th12A20.1 increased 1.3 and 1.9 fold the total fresh weight of Fortaleza tomato plants when compared to its parental strains Th12 and Th11, respectively. The selected candidate mutants obtained through protoplast fusion were also innocuous to tomato plants, but only ThF1-2 and ThF4-4 inhibited 1.3 fold (in dual cultures) and 5 fold (due to secretion of volatile metabolites) the growth of P. lycopersici, respectively, in relation to the mean inhibitory effect of both parents. Therefore, these candidate mutants could be included in experiments under field conditions.

Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network