Abstract
The use of microbe-based biological control for crop pests is recognized as an environmentally safe substitute for conventional chemical pesticides. However, the practical application of microbial inoculants in large-scale agriculture is underexplored, impeding their widespread commercial adoption. This study addresses the scarcity of research on effective delivery methods for microbial inoculants, particularly through seed coating, which has the potential to be a cost- and time-efficient strategy in crop management. In this research, the Trichoderma harzianum strain Th4d, a biological control agent (BCA), was incorporated into specially formulated biopolymeric compositions based on chitosan and cellulose. The efficacy of this seed coating approach was tested against various soil- and seed-borne pathogens in oilseed crops, including soybean, groundnut, and safflower. Results indicate that safflower treated with the biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blend exhibited a higher seed yield of 793 kg/ha, seed germination of 84.7 %, and a significant reduction in wilt and root rot by 64.7 %. In groundnut crops, the seed coating led to a seed germination rate of 88.6 %, a 72 % reduction in root rot incidence, and a seed yield of 3040 kg/ha. Similarly, soybean crops treated with the biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4d displayed 83.4 % seed germination, a 70.9 % reduction in root rot, and a seed yield of 1239 kg/ha. Further on-farm evaluations demonstrated promising results, with the biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blend seed treatment showing a high incremental cost-benefit ratio in safflower (1:4.5), soybean (1:2.5), and groundnut crops (1:3.3). This study underscores the potential of microbe-based seed coating as a sustainable and economically viable strategy for pest management in oilseed crops."
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Coated safflower seed yield was 793 kg/ha.
- Taxon
- safflower
Carthamus tinctoriuse0 - Treatment
- biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blende0
- Interactor
- T. harzianum Th4d
Trichoderma harzianume0biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- seed yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 793 kg/hae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“safflower treated with the biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blend exhibited a higher seed yield of 793 kg/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Coated safflower seed germination was 84.7%.
- Taxon
- safflowerCarthamus tinctoriuse0
- Treatment
- biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blende0
- Interactor
- T. harzianum Th4dTrichoderma harzianume0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- seed germinatione0
- Value
- 84.7 %e0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“safflower treated with the biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blend exhibited a higher seed yield of 793 kg/ha, seed germination of 84.7 %”
Claim · model-written summary
Coating reduced safflower wilt and root rot by 64.7%.
- Taxon
- safflowerCarthamus tinctoriuse0
- Treatment
- biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blende0
- Interactor
- T. harzianum Th4dTrichoderma harzianume0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- wilt and root rote0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 64.7 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“safflower treated with the biopolymer chitosan-based T. harzianum Th4d 1 % liquid formulation blend exhibited a higher seed yield of 793 kg/ha, seed germination of 84.7 %, and a significant reduction in wilt and root rot by 64.7 %”
Claim · model-written summary
Groundnut coating gave 88.6% seed germination.
- Taxon
- groundnut
Arachis hypogaeae0 - Treatment
- seed coatinge0
- Outcome
- seed germination ratee0
- Value
- 88.6 %e0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In groundnut crops, the seed coating led to a seed germination rate of 88.6 %”
Claim · model-written summary
Groundnut coating reduced root rot incidence by 72%.
- Taxon
- groundnutArachis hypogaeae0
- Treatment
- seed coatinge0
- Outcome
- root rot incidencee0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 72 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In groundnut crops, the seed coating led to a seed germination rate of 88.6 %, a 72 % reduction in root rot incidence”
Claim · model-written summary
Groundnut coating gave 3040 kg/ha seed yield.
- Taxon
- groundnutArachis hypogaeae0
- Treatment
- seed coatinge0
- Outcome
- seed yielde0
- Value
- 3040 kg/hae0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In groundnut crops, the seed coating led to a seed germination rate of 88.6 %, a 72 % reduction in root rot incidence, and a seed yield of 3040 kg/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Coated soybean had 83.4% seed germination.
- Taxon
- soybean
Glycine maxe0 - Treatment
- biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4de0
- Interactor
- T. harzianum Th4dTrichoderma harzianume0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- seed germinatione0
- Value
- 83.4 %e0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soybean crops treated with the biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4d displayed 83.4 % seed germination”
Claim · model-written summary
Coated soybean had 70.9% less root rot.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe0
- Treatment
- biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4de0
- Interactor
- T. harzianum Th4dTrichoderma harzianume0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- root rote0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 70.9 %e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soybean crops treated with the biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4d displayed 83.4 % seed germination, a 70.9 % reduction in root rot”
Claim · model-written summary
Coated soybean seed yield was 1239 kg/ha.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe0
- Treatment
- biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4de0
- Interactor
- T. harzianum Th4dTrichoderma harzianume0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- seed yielde0
- Value
- 1239 kg/hae0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soybean crops treated with the biopolymer chitosan and T. harzianum Th4d displayed 83.4 % seed germination, a 70.9 % reduction in root rot, and a seed yield of 1239 kg/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Safflower coating had an incremental cost-benefit ratio of 1:4.5.
- Taxon
- safflowerCarthamus tinctoriuse0
- Outcome
- incremental cost-benefit ratioe0
- Direction
- highe0
- Value
- 1:4.5e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“high incremental cost-benefit ratio in safflower (1:4.5)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soybean coating had an incremental cost-benefit ratio of 1:2.5.
- Taxon
- soybeanGlycine maxe0
- Outcome
- incremental cost-benefit ratioe1
- Value
- 1:2.5e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soybean (1:2.5)”
e1“high incremental cost-benefit ratio in safflower (1:4.5)”
Claim · model-written summary
Groundnut coating had an incremental cost-benefit ratio of 1:3.3.
- Taxon
- groundnutArachis hypogaeae0
- Outcome
- incremental cost-benefit ratioe1
- Value
- 1:3.3e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“groundnut crops (1:3.3)”
e1“high incremental cost-benefit ratio in safflower (1:4.5)”
The same questions in other papers
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See all 9 papers →8 of 14 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.