Plant growth enhancement and disease control by Trichoderma harzianum in vegetable seedlings grown under commercial conditions

Trichoderma harzianum was applied to cucumber and pepper seedlings as a peat-bran preparation incorporated into the propagative mixture in a commercial production nursery. On marketing day (after 18 and 30 days for cucumber and pepper, respectively), significant increases of 23.8% and 17.2% in seedling height, 96.1% and 50% in leaf area, and 24.7% and 28.6% in plant dry weight were observed in cucumber and pepper seedlings, respectively, as compared to their non-treated counterparts. Trichoderma-treated seedlings were much more developed and vigorous and had higher chlorophyll contents. No significant differences were found in N, P or K content between treatments. Cucumber seedlings were then transplanted to a commercial greenhouse and analyzed over two successive growth cycles following soil fumigation with methyl bromide (500 kg/ha). Results revealed the Trichoderma-treated plants to be more resistant to damping-off disease. During the first cycle, immediately after soil fumigation, no damping-off was observed with either treatment, except in border beds where 4% of the non-treated plants died, as compared to no damping-off in the Trichoderma-treated plants. During the second growing cycle however, significant reductions in damping-off of 67% and 52% were obtained in middle and border beds, respectively, as compared to the non-treated controls.