Abstract
Introduction Microbial inoculants based on plant growth-promoting microbes offer a promising alternative to chemical inputs, enhancing plant growth, crop yield, and stress resilience without adverse environmental effects. Methods A commercial microbial consortium ( Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Streptomyces spp., Trichoderma spp., Glomus spp.) was evaluated in a cold greenhouse in Sicily (Italy), certified for organic methods. The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars, including one commercial and four Sicilian landraces. The greenhouse was naturally infested with the tomato leaf miner Phthorimaea absoluta , which affected plant growth and yield. Results and discussion Despite the considerable infestation, plants treated by the above-cited microbial consortium showed enhanced growth and yield compared to the control plants. Furthermore, root galls caused by nematodes ( Meloidogyne spp.) were observed. Significant differences were observed among the genotype and the treatment. Microbial DNA was extracted from tomato roots and analyzed using amplicon sequencing to characterize the root-associated bacterial, fungal, and nematode communities. Alpha diversity indices were largely unaffected for bacteria. In contrast, the genotype and the soil treatment by the microbial consortium affected the alpha diversity indices for fungi and nematodes. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences in microbiota community composition between plants grown in treated and untreated soils for both datasets analyzed. Furthermore, we found several Operational taxonomic units associated with the soil treatment by the microbial consortium utilized. Finally, the results demonstrated that the microbial consortium utilized alleviated the damage symptoms due to biotic stresses ( P. absoluta and Meloidogyne spp.). Furthermore, the treatment significantly affected the microbial community of the tomato roots depending on the cultivars used.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
The microbial consortium enhanced tomato growth and yield compared with control plants in a cold greenhouse in Sicily.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume3 - Treatment
- microbial consortiume1
- Outcome
- growth and yielde1
- Direction
- enhancede1
- Comparator
- control plantse1
- Setting
- cold greenhouse in Sicily (Italy)e2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“plants treated by the above-cited microbial consortium showed enhanced growth and yield compared to the control plants”
e2“was evaluated in a cold greenhouse in Sicily (Italy)”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Phthorimaea absoluta infestation affected tomato plant growth and yield in the greenhouse.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Interactor
- Phthorimaea absoluta
.jpg?width=60)
Tuta absolutae4pest - Outcome
- plant growth and yielde4
- Direction
- affectede4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e4“The greenhouse was naturally infested with the tomato leaf miner Phthorimaea absoluta , which affected plant growth and yield”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Root galls caused by Meloidogyne nematodes were observed on tomato roots.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Interactor
- Meloidogyne spp.
_penetrates_a_tomato_root_-_USDA-ARS.jpg?width=60)
Meloidogynee5pathogen - Outcome
- root gallse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_penetrates_a_tomato_root_-_USDA-ARS.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e5“root galls caused by nematodes ( Meloidogyne spp.) were observed”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Beta diversity of root microbiota differed significantly between plants grown in treated and untreated soils for both datasets.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Treatment
- treated soilse6
- Outcome
- microbiota community compositione6
- Comparator
- untreated soilse6
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences in microbiota community composition between plants grown in treated and untreated soils for both datasets analyzed”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Alpha diversity indices of tomato root bacteria were largely unaffected.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Outcome
- Alpha diversity indicese7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Alpha diversity indices were largely unaffected for bacteria”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
The genotype and the soil treatment by the microbial consortium affected alpha diversity indices for fungi and nematodes in tomato roots.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Material
- genotypee4
- Treatment
- soil treatment by the microbial consortiume4
- Outcome
- alpha diversity indices for fungi and nematodese4
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“In contrast, the genotype and the soil treatment by the microbial consortium affected the alpha diversity indices for fungi and nematodes”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
Several operational taxonomic units were associated with the soil treatment by the microbial consortium in tomato roots.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Treatment
- soil treatment by the microbial consortiume4
- Outcome
- Operational taxonomic unitse4
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Furthermore, we found several Operational taxonomic units associated with the soil treatment by the microbial consortium utilized”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
The microbial consortium alleviated damage symptoms in tomato caused by Phthorimaea absoluta and Meloidogyne spp.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Treatment
- microbial consortiume4
- Interactor
- P. absolutaTuta absolutae4pest
- Second interactor
- Meloidogyne spp.Meloidogynee4pathogen
- Outcome
- damage symptoms due to biotic stressese4
- Direction
- alleviatede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“the microbial consortium utilized alleviated the damage symptoms due to biotic stresses ( P. absoluta and Meloidogyne spp.)”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
Claim · model-written summary
The microbial consortium significantly affected the microbial community of tomato roots, depending on the cultivar.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Treatment
- the treatmente4
- Outcome
- microbial community of the tomato rootse4
- Qualifier
- depending on the cultivars usede4
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Furthermore, the treatment significantly affected the microbial community of the tomato roots depending on the cultivars used”
e3“The consortium was applied by fertigation to five tomato cultivars”
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