Amal Haj Hassan(1)*, Mohammad Ahmad(2), Omar Hammoudi(1), and Magda Mufleh(1)
(1). General Commission for scientific Agriculture Research, Lattakia, Syria
(2). Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture Tishreen University,
Lattakia, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Amal Haj Hassan. E-Mail: amal.haj@gmail.com).
Received: 17/05/2024 Accepted:5/08/2024
Abstract:
This study was conducted to evaluate the endophytic colonization of tomato plants with two local isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Sordariomycetes: Hypocreales), b8, which was isolated from the pupa of the palm weevil, and b10, which was isolated from the soil of a citrus orchard in Latakia Governorate, and there effect on the growth of tomato plants and in Controlling the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera Gelechiidae) by seeds inoculation with three different techniques: seeds immersion in fungus conidial suspension, seeds immersion in gum and fungus conidial suspension, and seeds irrigetion within 30, 45, and 60 days. The results showed the efficiency of both isolates in colonizing all parts of the plant. (root, stem and leaves) in varying rats without a significant difference between them, and the highest colonization rate was recorded on the leaves, 100% for b8 isolate and 96.30% for b10 isolate, 45 days after inoculation by seeds irrigation technique. The irrigation technique was significantly more better than the other two technique after 30 days time after inocolation, but at 45 and 60 days time, no significant difference was recorded between the inoculation techniques. The leaf colonization rate was also significantly higher than the root and stem colonization rate for most of the evaluation times and for all inoculation techniques. Both fungal isolates significantly increased the height of tomato plants and their wet and dry weight compared to control plants 60 days after inoculation. The mortality rate caused by the two fungal isolates to tomato leaf miner larvae varied according to the method of inoculation during the days of the experiment. The highest mortality rate (9.43±89.67%) was recorded for b8 isolate and (4.17±86.67%) for b10 isolate at the last day of the experiment, in the seeds irrigation technique.
Keywords: endophetic colonization, entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta, , tomato plants.
Full paper in Arabic: PDF